Scout (SYOC)
by nerfherder-han
Summary: Nui is one of sixteen teens being sent to the Home for Troubled Children for the summer. Supposedly this camp is meant to help its campers return to society as proper residents, but a certain event that follows them from one of their stops, Tokonosu, is enough to bring it all crumbling down. SYOC CLOSED
1. 00: Prologue

**00** – **Prologue**

 _Hands tight around her throat. Mouth opening and closing, but no air filters through. Rage held steady, meeting her gaze._

 _The window is open. Her desk is moved out of the way. Dozens of uniforms, all the same as her own, gather about. No one intervenes. No one calls for help. They all just watch._

 _Can't breathe. Can't breathe. Her legs are lifted from the floor, the hands moving from her throat to her uniform collar. She stumbles along with the forceful grip, coughing and spluttering and sobbing. No more, she begs, but her assailant doesn't listen._

 _She trips on a desk, and the voices around her rise in volume._

 _"Is Horibe-senpai going to throw her out the window?"_

 _"Nah, she's just gonna scare her."_

 _"Sh-Should I get a teacher?"_

 _She squeezes her eyes shut and screams. The hands pull her up to her feet again, and she throws her arms out to ward her assailant off. The hands tear at her collar, exposing her undergarments. The hands move farther and farther away._

 _The crowd screams. She opens her eyes. Staring back at her is no longer rage, but fear. The same fear she herself felt with all her being mere seconds ago. Chestnut curls cascade around Horibe's face, swallowing her head whole by the second. In Horibe's hands is her uniform, torn and tattered, and she can just see one of Horibe's shoes slipping off her foot as they lose their balance._

 _Horibe is frozen in midair, begging her for help. She wants to reach out, wants to stop the tragedy._

 _Horibe falls._

 _And falls._

 _And—_

"Suzuki-san?"

She stands up with a jolt. The classroom is gone, morning sun of Fukuoka replacing it. Horibe isn't in front of her—no, it's a middle-aged man in a bus uniform, his arms crossed in front of him as he stares down at her. The bus has been parked in front of them, and for a second she feels embarrassed to have brought him to a complete stop over her.

But, of course, she remembers why the bus is here in the first place.

"Yes," she replies, stifling a yawn.

"I'm with the Home. Do you have your paperwork with you?"

She digs through her bag and hands him the papers. He lets out a low whistle as he reads over her details.

"They're gonna eat you alive, kid," he half-jokes. "Then again, you could probably just push 'em out the windows. You seem to be good at that."

Her breakfast starts to turn over in her stomach. "She was—"

"Don't care what pretty little excuse you have," he says loudly. She flinches, backing off without so much as a fight. "When push comes to shove, you're still the one who killed your classmate."

God, she wishes he'd used a better phrase than that. He probably did it intentionally, though part of her worries what a rehabilitation camp for trouble youths would be doing keeping someone like that around. The bus driver grabs her bags and tosses them right to the back of the luggage compartment. It's a good thing she got her valuables out beforehand and hid them in her sweatshirt.

The bus driver stretches and jabs his thumb at the door. "A'ight, hop on. Fukuoka is the first stop in this thirty-nine hour trip."

She climbs aboard and takes one of the seats at the back, right by the window to keep some distance between her and the bus driver. Her paperwork is tucked into a folder under his seat, where the others will probably join it. She can't bring herself to wonder who she'll be attending the Home with. If manslaughter is cause enough to be "eaten alive" by the other campers, then she doesn't want to know what would be considered big for them.

The bus lurches forward, and the first day of travel begins. She closes her eyes, pulls her glasses off and sets them on her lap. If she thinks hard enough, she can remember what the front page—the first section—of her forms looks like.

 _Full name: Suzuki Nui_

 _Transgression: Voluntary manslaughter_

Will they be worse than Horibe, she wonders? Or will Nui be spared another living hell that was her high school career?

The next day and a half would have the answers, she supposes.

* * *

 **Shortass prologue is short. But hey, welcome to the Scout SYOC - the form is on my profile, but before you send it in there's a few details to give about the camp the characters will be sent to and the kinds of campers it accepts.  
**

 **The camp itself  
1\. **The camp runs from the start of summer vacation and finishes after the first month of conventional schooling. This means three whole months are spent in this camp.  
 **2.** The camp caters to kids who are deemed "troubled" or "antisocial" in society. They accept kids from all around the world, having a large campus to work with, and functions on the singular goal of rehabilitating kids so they can adjust better to society and building teamwork and character.  
The camp has four squads - North, South, East and West - that are divided evenly in gender ratio, and these squads typically have a volunteer student/teenager acting as their "guide"  
 **3.** The squads are all placed into two cabins (with S and N being in one, and W and E in another). The cabins are technically coed, but there's a section of room for bathrooms and councillor offices that separate where the boys sleep and where the girls sleep.  
 **4.** The camp leaders/supervisors come in only two varieties: Super lax and uncaring, or super intense and intimidating. Neither type of supervisor has interest in rehabilitating the kids, and focus more on actually making sure the camp is funded. This is where the volunteer teens come in.  
 **5.** There are no classes in the camp, as some teens have been sent there due to the education system itself. Instead, they're given activities that build trust and allow them to have some fun, while also teaching them valuable lessons about teamwork and society. (They're really outdated and terrible lessons, and not many people like them.)  
 **6.** The camp has its own kitchen that squads are often put on duty to work in. They cook and clean throughout the day that they're assigned kitchen duty, and typically eat during their break while everyone else eats in the cafeteria. The utensils are all really weak, easily breakable plastic, so as to prevent injuries that may prove fatal; the plating is all either the same plastic or just paper plates and bowls; and the food and drink is limited to:  
 **Breakfast -** Healthy cereals, eggs, bacon, sausages, toast (with whatever), French toast, pancakes, milk, various kinds of juice, and water.  
 **Lunch -** Hot dogs, rice, omelettes, sandwiches, salad, milk, various kinds of juice, soda and water.  
 **Dinner -** A "surprise" meal that typically consists of some form of meat, soup, and two side vegetables. All drinks are available.  
 **7.** The area surrounding the camp (which is rather vast and provides lots of ground for recreational exploring) is separated from the outside world by a long, high fence that reminds one of a prison setting. The only way in and out of the camp is through the front gate, which is electronically locked and opened from the main office.  
 **8.** To keep the location a proper secret so as to prevent the disturbance of rehabilitation, the camp is only accessible by one of its buses - which stops by in certain areas around the country to pick up kids and take them in one trip to the camp. The bus can fit around fifty kids on it, and the only indication that it's run by the camp is the logo on the driver's shirt. This bus is how our characters will arrive at the camp.  
 **9.** Common pickup sites for the camp are major cities all over Japan, with Tokyo being the city overseas campers are picked up from. Tokonosu is part of these cities where campers are picked up.  
 **10.** The camp prides itself on its radio silence, which means there are no televisions or newspapers or radios that can connect them to the outside world. There's virtually no mobile reception, to boot.  
 **11.** The camp's activities include rock climbing (plastic wall), arts and crafts, zipline (one group gets access every second day), campfire games (spooky stories, bonding sessions), hiking/orienteering, treasure hunts, squad contests (like dodgeball or soccer games), environmental care (planting trees and flowers, tending to existing/growing plants, weeding small areas)  
 **12.** The camp has a timeout zone, where kids who cause trouble (and are caught) get put into a form of solitary confinement. The timeout zone itself is just a small cabin/shed that can be locked from the outside by a padlock and is generally kept shut for a good three or so hours to let campers cool off. It's stocked up with old blankets and canned food, as well as the secondhand clothing that is given to campers from juvenile detention.  
 **13.** There is a small lake a small way away from the campus that the group sometimes goes to for kayaking and swimming. On particularly hot days, all activities are suspended so the kids can go swimming and stay cool in the lake.

 **The kids  
1\. **While the kids that are sent to the camp are typically troubled, there is a good deal of restrictions on the types of kids who can attend. For example, children who have recently been put into police custody or have served time will only be allowed in the camp as a "test" parole after they've done the required time given to them, and their performances and recoveries are assessed by the volunteers. The crime the teen may have committed is overlooked, just as long as they have enough good behavior when doing their time that can ensure they won't act out again on camp grounds.  
Other types of kids that are sent to the camp: Kids who have drug problems (smoking, painkiller addiction, etc.); kids who harassed other students in their school; kids who start fights; kids who need a break from school (due to stress, mental health issues, etc.); kids whose parents feel they can "improve" themselves by going to the camp.  
 **2.** There are teenagers who volunteer to guide the camp goers, and they're referred to as "Squad Leaders" by the camp staff, though they prefer the term "Guide". They're typically in the camp for either extra marks in school, good Samaritan work, or because they were former camp goers who want to help others get to where they are.  
 **3.** The kids are typically aged between fifteen and nineteen - 8th/9th graders to 12th graders  
 **4.** Some of the kids come to the camp more than once, and they're generally either kids who didn't quite impress the people assessing them for parole, kids who still struggle with their issues or kids who enjoyed being there and want to come back to better themselves further.  
 **5.** The kids are often awarded stickers that represent their achievements. At the beginning of the bus trip, they're given a stapled together booklet with accomplishments and goals inside, and small boxes to put stickers in. Volunteers and leaders can award these stickers, and they're recorded and assessed at the end of the summer to see how much the teen has "improved". Each sticker resembles your traditional scouts or guides badges, and there's a small synopsis on the stickers' meanings underneath each box  
 **6.** The kids who come in from juvenile detention centres are required to wear tracking bracelets/anklets for the duration of their stay, which sound out an alarm if they ever try to leave the premises without permission (as in, the moment they walk out the gate is the moment an annoying high pitched sound starts coming from their wrist/ankle). This is mostly implemented in order to make sure that the kids who agreed to come at the suggestion of their prisons don't use this as an opportunity to escape the remainder of their sentence, especially since there's not a lot of kids who wind up being granted release after their first trip to the Home  
 **7.** Kids coming from prisons also don't really need to wear their uniforms - they're allowed to wear casual clothing for the duration of their stay, mostly due to the fact that the harsh weather combined with their uniforms don't make for a good combination. Their clothing is second-hand from the Home, though.

 **Ugh, feels this half of this is just info. You can find the rules on my profile, just above the form and below the character list.**


	2. Interlude: Expression of Interest

**A sort of vague interlude (my gosh, so soon in the story) with three random characters' povs. They go unnamed, since I mainly wanna keep the surprise for the full character roster reveal, so enjoy I guess? I'm hoping to properly kick off Scout by New Year's, and there's currently 4 spots left - two boys and two girls - until that happens.**

* * *

 **0.5 – Expression of Interest**

 _Three weeks ago_

Things have gotten boring again. That seems to be the one annoying constant in his life as of late.

He twirls his pen between his fingers, leaning idly back in his desk chair. He'd been so ready to play with some new toys once the new school year started, but it's just been the same old kids over and over again. He's actually running out of things to do with them, getting bored with their reactions now that they're getting wise and not falling for his tricks anymore.

They still think he's nice and cares, but damn if they aren't starting to learn.

"What," he sighs with each twirl of his pen, "to do."

There's usually something that comes along by now to sate his boredom. At worst he has to seek them out, maybe even go somewhere unfamiliar just for the sake of saving himself from dying of boredom. His parents think he's a good guy, so at least they'd let him leave, but it's much more fun to just _happen_ upon new toys than it is to pick and choose from a crowd of them.

"Ugh," he groans. He holds the outburst for a few seconds, his throat slowly beginning to ache. Maybe he can try sweet talk a trip back to Shinto? He could always bullshit some excuse about enjoying the school trip so much that he has to see it again—or maybe he can print off some random flier for a big corporation or event and use that as an excuse.

But then, he thinks with a disappointing amount of reason, the chances of seeing _her_ again are slim. Honestly, an albino shrine maiden that only he had seen, at night no less? Even if she's known in the area, the chances of him being sent away just for asking about her are too high. People like her—so perceptive of the people and world around her, so ethereal and fleeting—are always the ones adults keep under lock and key the most.

His phone lets out a ping. He looks down, surprised, and sees a notification from his calendar app.

 _You have (1) upcoming event._

Oh? He picks up the phone and unlocks it. There's only one event listed among all the dates, free of activities and people he normally plans to toy with. He taps the event, and his face lights up at the mere title of it.

 _Application for Home of Troubled Children ending soon._

Yes... Yes, now he remembers why he never gets bored for too long around this time of year. For the past two years he's been attending the Home—the first time out of necessity, the second out of personal pleasure—and he's sure this year won't be any different. He sets his phone down and begins rummaging through his desk for his laptop.

The site for the Home is saved in his bookmarks. It takes no time at all to fill out the application, and he attaches it to an email that he _knows_ the staff will recognise.

They're screwed if they don't. Turning down one of their biggest sponsors' son will be too risky to even think of.

* * *

 _One month ago_

"You're being tested for parole, kid."

He blinks at them once. It's easy to keep himself from reacting to the news , the last two years giving him perfect practice at keeping up his poker face.

Warden Aburaya folds his hands atop his desk and leans forward. "Everyone's in agreement on the extent of your good behaviour, and you _are_ eligible for parole soon. However," the man says, "we can't help feeling there are... _factors_ to consider."

He sucks in a deep breath and nods. "Yes?" he grunts.

Warden Aburaya opens his desk drawer—lo and behold, a file with his name and prisoner ID on the front is produced, slapped on the desk like a report card from school. A disappointing report card. The teen stares, stone-faced, as Aburaya opens it and reads out his sentence.

"I prefer to be cautious, compared to other juvenile detention centres," Aburaya explains. "Voluntary manslaughter can very easily turn into first degree murder, if given enough stress and opportunity. Anger management is key to preventing this, even if the anger seems 'managed' on the surface."

He nods, following along easily enough. He can understand the warden's reluctance despite his good behaviour so far. If he's honest, even he isn't sure how he'll fare if put on parole. He hates this place—this country, its people, its culture, _its_ _exclusivity_. Given his age now, and the building issues he has with his surroundings and the people in it, there's a higher chance of him winding up in prison rather than living his life peacefully with his peers.

"There's a program," Aburaya goes on, pulling another folder—no, a mere flier—from his drawer, "it's experimental, only happens once a year, but the results so far have been positive. A few years ago we even sent one of our more difficult inmates there, and he's well on his way to release now." He slides the flier across the desk. He notices the hesitation in the boy's eyes, and reassures him he won't be tackled and taken back to his cell for taking the flier. "It's called the Home for Troubled Youth. It's a three-month program that focuses on teamwork and rebuilding, and kids from all over the world have attended during its run.

"Here's the deal, kid: You attend for three months. You come back with an evaluation from the councillors. If there's improvement, you're out on parole."

He reads over the title of the pamphlet. _Home for Troubled Children_ : _The first step to a second chance._

It's hard to hold back the small smile that tugs at his lips. This might actually be it; this might be what he needs to go back to normal, regardless of everything happening around him and the place he loathes being trapped in.

* * *

 _Two months ago_

Yes, yes, it seems this is a very good idea. Normally the parents try to impede her efforts and contain her within the confines of their home, forbidding her— _her_ , the one and only Daemon Queen, Slayer of Abominations—from hunting Dark Beasts. But this... _This_ is the cooperation she'd expected from not only her family, but her allies in the fight against all that tortures their way of life.

She crosses her arms in front of her chest and lets out a pleased laugh. "Excellent!" she says. "This will prove the perfect opportunity to complete my mission. Your help is appreciated, dear mother and father!"

The father pales at her statement. His gaze moves away from her, his lips pursing as though he's debating even replying.

The mother nods and claps her hands together once. "That's right!" she agrees. There's an encouraging smile on her face, one that has never normally been so enthusiastic about the slaying of Dark Beasts. "How many was it you said you needed to, ah...?"

"One million."

"Right. That's a lot to do on your own, isn't it?" The mother pushes the paper back to her, going so far as to even point to the number of people specified allowed at a time. "That's fifteen fr— _allies_ who can help you, right? And the staff says there's many places outdoors you can spend time at within the perimeter. I'll even bet," the mother adds, her voice dipping to a whisper, "that there's even more creatures over there than there are here."

The father tenses up. Before the mother can go on, he mumbles, "Dear..."

The mother waves to him, winking.

She nods along, glad that at least the mother sees things her way. "This will speed up the collection, for sure," she announces. "Remain steadfast, dear mother and father! I shall free our precious Shino from the Eden Cage faster than ever!"

Both are silent at her statement. Hurt flashes across the father's face; his eyes water, his breathing falters. Then he pushes himself out of his chair, hurrying from the room as his hand covers his face. She watches him leave, confused by the outburst, but the mother drags her attention back.

"We'll... We'll see, sweetie." The mother picks up the flier. In an almost nervous habit, she begins lining up the corners in preparation to fold it in half. "Can you promise me something?"

"Of course, dear mother! Empress Hells—"

" _Please_ ," the mother interrupts her, "be safe. I know you're strong and confident, but just... Please remember to take care of yourself."

It's a desperate plea she never thought she would hear. Normally she's left to her own devices, save for the nights where she's locked inside the house against her will, and there's never all that much concern. But something is different now. It's almost like this place has some secret she's not being made privy to.

Just what kind of dangers await her in this "home"?


	3. 01: Precious Cargo

**Happy holidays from a guy allergic to big family gatherings and is designated the pet sitter instead. I'm surprised at how quickly I got this done, as well as at the length, so I hope this was worth the wait? We get an introduction to all eighteen characters, Nui included, and I can't wait to hear what your first impressions of everyone is. I got a lot of submissions and towards the end it was hard to pick just a few for the remaining slots, but I think I'm pretty happy with the final lineup. You can find the ages and VAs of each character on my profile.**

 **This chapter is also a check-in to make sure the people I accepted characters from are actually reading, and also to keep my own bias from influencing this particular thing - if the submitters could PM me a short message on their character's opinion on Nui, I'd really appreciate it. Other than that, here we go?**

* * *

 **01 – Precious Cargo**

 _"Suzuki-senpai just murdered Horibe-senpai!"_

 _"Stay back!"_

 _"I don't wanna die too!"_

"Next stop, Kagoshima."

Nui stirs awake with a groan. How long has it been? How long was she asleep? Did he say Kagoshima? But Kagoshima's three hours south of Fukuoka, isn't it?

The clock above the windscreen displays the time—10:58AM—and Nui can't help feeling embarrassed over how easily she'd fallen asleep. School required her to be out of the house by seven just to make it before the first bell. Even on days free of school or extracurricular activities, Nui's never had trouble staying awake after seven.

She pulls off her sweater and undoes one of her pigtails. She'd leaned too much on the seat while sleeping. As she fixes it, she takes note of how much warmer it feels now that the sun is well above the horizon, shining through her window.

The stop in Kagoshima only has one kid there, another girl like Nui and probably the same age. Nui can't help staring as the driver gets off the bus to load the girl's belongings underneath them, especially at the almost ashen complexion to her skin. It's hard to ignore when compared to her white tank top—("Seize the day" is such a cute phrase, Nui thinks with a fraction of hope)—but the other vibrant colours she wears, like the red high-waisted sailor shorts and cropped jean jacket, help to divert attention from that single concern.

She looks normal, Nui thinks. A bit small, smaller than her at least, but she reminds Nui of the track runners back at school. Nui's only curiosity as she boards the bus, leaving the driver behind, is how friendly she may be. It's hard to read her expression, too closed-off and distant even for someone who's had to watch physical changes in people like a hawk.

The driver gets back on the bus and buckles up just as the girl takes a seat a few rows down from Nui, on the same side of the bus. Now that she's closer, Nui can even notice the particularly messy way her black pixie cut sits—like she's just woken up, or had a particularly restless night of sleep before coming. The bus driver calls out back to them, giving them a gruff order to introduce themselves.

Nui clutches her sweatshirt nervously, loose hair forgotten. She thought this was supposed to happen at the camp, not on the bus.

The girl barely moves to look back at her, just throwing up a hand lazily and saying, "Shimizu Akiko."

Nui clears her throat and stutters, "S—Suzuki Nui."

Despite how long Akiko's entrance had felt, it's barely eleven by the time they leave the stop.

* * *

The next ten hours don't pass in silence. Eventually they stop for lunch, the bus driver getting on the phone to what must be the new driver waiting at their next stop. Nui spends her time fidgeting and reading signs on the highway, occasionally watching clouds, but even then it gets exhausting.

Akiko even looks to be getting agitated at the five-hour mark. It's halfway to the next stop, which is apparently Osaka, but she starts getting up and stretching between the aisles every time they stop at a red light. The driver, probably annoyed already with just two girls on the bus getting bored—like teenagers do, Nui reasons—eventually pulls over at a gas station and takes the keys from the ignition.

"Christ, kid," he growls at Akiko. "You better not be playing up that goddamn claustrophobia."

There's a pair of handcuffs pulled from his glove compartment. Nui's eyes bulge to the size of saucers as he points to her and demands both she and Akiko come to the front of the bus.

"I need cigarettes," he sighs. One cuff is on Akiko's wrist, and the other on Nui's. Nui gawks at it, then at Akiko. "You two get some air and stay at the bus. Doubt you'll both get far cuffed together."

And they do just that. Akiko and Nui seat themselves outside of the bus, just next to the baggage compartment, and watch the driver enter the station. It's awkward. It's unfamiliar. It's almost dehumanizing, Nui thinks.

Almost out of habit, Nui blurts out to the silent Akiko, "S—Sorry about this."

Akiko shrugs. She crosses her legs and leans her chin on her free hand. "I should be saying that. Normally they just cuff you to the bar by the door if you need air."

"Have you…?"

Akiko nods. "Just one other time. You?"

"It's my first time." She chews her lip. "Is it nice at the Home?"

That gets her a wry smile and a snort. Akiko looks to Nui and says sardonically, "Yeah, it's real peachy sharing an outdoor prison with seventeen other people who've probably committed worse crimes than yourself."

Nui sucks in a deep breath. Five hours after leaving Kagoshima, and it's only now dawning on Nui that _maybe_ there will be worse cases attending the Home than first considered. When she'd pondered worse things than manslaughter, she defaulted to plain murder. Her mind couldn't comprehend worse. She'd refused to, perhaps.

Akiko points to Nui's chest, and she's avoiding the bespectacled girl's gaze as she adds, "Might wanna put that sweatshirt back on when the first guys start coming on the bus. There was a real nasty one last year, and you seem too timid to even _survive_ that kind of onslaught."

A shaky hand clutches the front of her dress tightly. Nui doesn't want to consider worse. Doesn't want to imagine how bad these kids can be. Doesn't want to be here. Her eyes water, her breathing quickens.

She'd rather be held out the window than do this. She'd rather just let Horibe finish what she'd started.

A hand lands softly on her cuffed one. Nui startles, but doesn't move it back quick enough to stop the fingers lacing through her own. She looks back at Akiko, but the girl still isn't meeting her gaze.

"Hang in there, Suzuki-san," Akiko sighs. "With any luck, the guides will keep a close eye on the real problem children."

They're back on the bus the moment the driver comes back. He uncuffs them once they're close to their seats, and Nui can't help noticing that Akiko doesn't move any closer. But, a small, hopeful part of her reasons, Akiko hasn't moved further either. She clutches the hand she'd held tight against her lap, and for a brief moment the warmth left behind by the other girl gives her reassurance.

The remaining five hours sees them arrive in Osaka at 9:31PM. Again, only one girl is at the stop—but an older man, dressed in the same uniform as the driver, waits beside her with an unreadable expression. The driver mumbles under his breath about finally ending his shift, leaving the two girls locked inside the bus once he exits.

The new girl's foreign, and it's the first thing Nui notices off the bat. How can she not? All that bright orange hair, the almost snowy tone of her skin. Nui's never met a foreigner before, and it seems this three-month trip is going to be a learning experience for her. She looks as though she's dressed for a casual outing, if not an eventual hike with those gray hiking boots, and much like Akiko she stands barely above five feet. Hell, even her black- and white-striped warm up jacket swallows her whole.

When the doors open again, the new man walks on with the girl in front of him. Grey, almost lifeless eyes dart from Akiko to Nui, and she's quickly stopped from moving by a hand to her shoulder.

"Names," the new driver orders, his voice sounding less like the chain smoking habit the last one had.

The foreigner seems to smirk at both girls as she says, "Janet Connelly."

Nui and Akiko echo their own names as Janet takes a seat near the front of the bus, on the opposite side to them.

* * *

Janet studies both of them for the hour it takes to get to Kyoto. They're apparently stopping for food at the same place the next campers are being picked up, which brings endless relief to Nui as her stomach starts to grumble. With all the stress between pickups, her mind racing with the possible atrocities the others may have committed, she could probably shovel a whole three-course meal down her throat.

The bus comes to a stop, two teens waiting on the bench and keeping a good distance from each other. Akiko alerts Nui to put on her sweatshirt, and Nui all too quickly pulls it over her head.

When she can see again, Janet is smirking in amusement at the sight. Nui can barely catch the mutter of, "How precious," in a tone she _knows_ is mocking.

Instead of the duo getting on the bus, Akiko and Nui are handcuffed together while Janet gets a set of cuffs to herself. The driver exits to load up the new kids' baggage, cuffs them together as well, and Nui assumes he enters the small restaurant connected to the station to alert security of the cargo on his bus. Why wouldn't he, she thinks? If anyone was going to try run, it'd be now at the dead of night, probably in a car that's being refueled just across the property.

They're all seated at a table inside while three security guards keep close watch over them. The driver takes a credit card from his wallet, announcing that dinner is simply "junk food", and leaves the new kids to introduce themselves to the trio.

The first, taller and male, has what Nui's heard her bullies call a "resting bitch face". Like Janet he's pale, but not to the same degree as her, and he looks rather lean and compact. Nui feels almost self-conscious over how athletic everyone looks so far, especially compared to her embarrassing top-heavy frame and cherub features. The boy's hair is black, like her's and Akiko's, and the sides are shaved while the front is spiked forward—don't they call that a crew cut, she wonders?

He introduces himself with a gruff, "Takeda Jun."

Nui, caught staring at the scar on his right eyebrow, stutters out her name a second time today.

The second, smaller and female, is the odd one. Nui isn't even sure where to start with her. The black, cross-shaped stickers on both of her cheeks, just below her eyes? The platinum blond that the tips of her dark jade hair has been dyed? The medieval-inspired wardrobe, complete with epaulettes on her long coat? Or perhaps it's the obviously plastic sword she has attached to her waist, which she holds foldly with her free hand?

No, Nui thinks. It's her rather hammy, if bold personality rather than her appearance.

"You mongrels may know me by the plebian name of Yoarashi Haku but beware, for this is not my true identity!" Haku laughs, and it reminds Nui so much of those obnoxious girls' laughs in anime. Her gaze falls to the table as her shoulders sag. She can hear Akiko mutter something about chuunibyou, which would explain a lot about Haku right now.

Jun squawks loudly as Haku bursts out of her seat, propping one foot on the table and posing dramatically.

"No, you victims of ignorance and foolhardiness," she goes on, her voice raising and becoming more fantastical, "bow yourselves in prostration, for standing before you is the Demon Queen, the Empress of Blood Astra, the one who slays Dark Beasts—" Her voice crescendos with her final declaration. "—I AM HELLSENA MINAROUETTE TEPES!"

Haku ends her "introduction" with a solid fist to her chest, proud and emulating what she must think is regal aura to the rest of the table.

Across the room, one of the security guards bursts into laughter. The other two, and even the driver as he returns with multiple plastic containers of food, look positively embarrassed.

Well… At least chuunibyou isn't as bad as the other options, right?

* * *

It's past midnight at the next stop, the last two hours spent by Haku trying to get to know everyone. She's ordered to sit back down at 12:35AM, and the driver refuses to open the doors few the next camper until she does. Haku sulks, calling the driver a mongrel and telling him not to get used to ordering her around, and the next introduction begins.

The girl they pick up from Nagoya is withdrawn. She hides away inside a blue hoodie, the hood pulled up over her head and obscuring part of her face. Nui can only make out the long strands of silky black hair that spill out from the hoodie's neck, and much like Akiko the skin visible is ashen—but, she thinks with growing anxiety, it's much more pronounced and indicative of something serious.

All eyes are on this mystery girl as the driver demands she tell her name and sit down. The girl stands still for a moment, silent, but Nui can feel her gaze passing over her and everyone else.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the mystery girl says, "Akiyama Minori."

She goes to the very back of the bus, adjacent to where Nui sits. Minori curls in on herself on the seat and shoves her hands in the pockets of her hoodie. There's no other way to interpret her position than, " _Leave me alone_."

It doesn't help that the next stop is four hours away, though, and conversation lights up once more among the passengers. (Well, more like Haku goes back to talking to everyone and getting minimal responses.) While Nui had been passed over last time, Haku trying to pry conversations from Jun and even Janet, she's become the prime focus for the first hour. She panics at the attention—how is she supposed to handle chuunibyou in the first place? Is she meant to discourage it or play along?

Haku grabs her hands between her own and beams at Nui. "Indeed," Haku boasts, "I can see a pure heart in you, Suzuki-san! Have you experience in combat? Ah, what am I saying? Your hands are too clean and soft."

"Th—Thank you?" Nui tries.

"No, no, no!" Haku shakes her head vehemently. Nui watches in amazement over how stable the small bun on the left side of her head remains with the movements. "It's bad! How are you supposed to defend yourself from attacks from Dark Beasts? They'll eat you alive! Or even—"

Haku gasps. Her eyes go wide, but just as quickly as she'd cut herself off she continues, her expression steeling as she smiles heroically.

"I've no choice, then," she says, and Nui's mind is spinning as this girl acts more and more like some overzealous anime character. "I, Hellsena Minarouette Tepes, will have to protect you! Hold on to hope, Dandere-chan! You shan't be trapped in the Eden Cage under my watch!"

Dark Beasts? Eden Cage? _Dandere-chan_? Nui is left with more questions than answers as Haku moves her attention to Minori.

Compared to Nui's hesitation to send Haku away, though, Minori is quick to do the opposite. She keeps her eyes trained on her window, and there's a scowl on her face as she growls at Haku, "Get. Lost."

The remaining three hours to Yokohama feel much longer than they should.

* * *

Janet is making a request to the driver at the front when they stop at Yokohama. For a while Nui wonders what it is, uncertain of what the girl could possibly want, but the curiosity ends just as soon as it had been inspired. The driver is silent, seeming to have ignored the redhead. Janet looks satisfied when he opens the door and begins loading the next two campers' belongings below.

They're both boys, probably beginning to round out the gender ratio so far, and the taller one gets on the bus first. He's got messy, long blond hair, and his jeans look so tattered that Nui assumes it's a deliberate fashion statement. Like Akiko he wears a jean jacket, though his is hooded, and keeps his arms visible—numerous wristbands can be counted on either arm, all varying shades and colours, Nui notes. He seems nice enough, if withdrawn like a few of the others, and it becomes apparent how reluctant he'll be to open up when he introduces himself so softly that Nui swears she's met her vocal equal.

"Ohicko Karenachi," he says, and he's forced to stay in place as everyone—even Minori, to Nui's surprise—introduces themselves back.

The second boy is… extremely pretty. Even with the dark dust mask covering the lower half of his face, all Nui can think about is how _pretty_ he is. Sleek, light pink hair; intimidating, yet beautiful turquoise eyes; even his outfit, consisting of casual wear that looks just _right_ somehow, plays into his charm. He's small and boyish, sure, but like his attire all it does is add to him overall.

But it all comes crumbling apart when he speaks, his voice devoid of emotion and sounding so robotic that Nui does a double take. The intimidating element to his eyes just amplifies with every word that comes out of his mouth.

"My name is Honnouji Tadase."

Karenachi takes a seat in the middle of the bus, just a short distance from Haku, while Tadase takes the other vacant front seat. Neither says anything else to the other passengers, content with being loners for the moment. The driver sits back down and announces when they'll arrive at their next stop, giving hope for the teens with a bathroom break and breakfast in Tokyo.

How many does that make it now? She counts from Janet and Tadase, all the way back to herself and Minori. That's… eight? So they're halfway there? Nui tugs at the hem of her sweatshirt nervously. She's been on and off with her sleeping, but hopefully the trips between stops will allow her some peace.

Some of the other passengers haven't slept yet. It's hard to tell if they're being cautious or if they just _can't_ sleep. It feels weird, not being able to read them like she could her bullies. Nui had to practice daily just to predict how Horibe and her friends would treat her. But now it was all going down the drain, the teen lost in the sea of withdrawn, carefully constructed faces around her.

* * *

 _Horibe's hands grip her tighter and tighter. The pressure smothers her, leaves her begging for mercy. Haven't you done enough, Horibe? What did you hope to gain from this?_

 _Horibe murmurs something under her breath. She can't hear it, can barely read her lips and take a guess. Can't you just stop? Please, why won't you stop?_

" _...te you."_

 _What?"_

" _...hate you."_

 _Horibe_ —

" _I hate you!"_

 _The pressure grows. She hears the snapping of bones rather than feels it. Something wet hits her face, Horibe's grip tightening to the point of impossibility._

 _She looks up at her abuser's face. She tries to scream. She tries to claw at Horibe's slippery, warm arms. A neck should never be bent that way. Pieces of a spine should never jut out from the skin so prominently. A face should never be so concaved, an eye already sagging out like chocolate left to melt in the sun._

" _I," Horibe slurs, half of her teeth missing and one side of her jaw completely slack, "hate you…"_

Fingers pinch her nose tightly. Nui gasps, her arms flailing about, and the fingers retreat almost immediately. Her heart hammers in her chest, her breathing shallow and rushed—but Horibe's not here. Nui reaches up for her neck, prods and pokes it as her breathing slowly calms, until finally she can register her nightmare for what it was.

Her vision is blurry, though. She runs a hand over her face in search of her glasses, but soon enough one of her hands is being grabbed by someone. Something thin and cold is pressed to her palm, the shape familiar. Her glasses? Who had them while she was asleep?

As soon as Nui slides them on, her question is answered. She's surprised she didn't notice the red hair sooner, standing out so spectacularly compared to everyone else; but Nui's still even more surprised to see Janet having moved all the way to the back of the bus to wake her.

Slowly the things happening around her catch up. She can't actually see anyone behind Janet, and a glance to her right shows no sign of Minori. The bus isn't even rumbling, remaining stationary outside a gas station that Nui _knows_ is only based in Tokyo.

"What…?" she wheezes

Janet summarises succinctly, "Breakfast. Tokyo."

Had it… Had it really been only less than an hour? The driver had said that's how long it takes to get from Yokohama to Tokyo, but Nui can't believe it. When did she fall asleep? How long had that nightmare gone on?

A shout comes from the front of the bus—the driver, Nui realises. "Get moving, girls!"

When the duo make it to his side, the other kids waiting outside and cuffed in pairs, Nui is attached to Janet without so much as a chance to finish waking up. She stumbles out of the bus after the smaller girl, and the eight of them are quickly led inside by the driver and security guards.

For a gas station open at 5:28AM, they have decent breakfast foods available. Nothing she'd eat daily, especially since working so hard to lose all that weight she'd carried through middle school, but still enough to curb her hunger and leave her satisfied.

She's so hungry, she finds, that she barely even notices the presence of five extra people at the table. Three of them remain uncuffed, chatting quietly amongst themselves, while the other two barely even look at each other as they eat. Nui notes that one of them is a foreigner like Janet, but she's not granted much time to observe them yet.

Janet pulls her attention away with the news that Nui was almost left on the bus without breakfast. Nui pokes at the plain steamed rice in her container. She's not sure if she should be shocked at the idea of going without food because of the driver's negligence. The last day and a half have shown her enough to know better than to expect luxury treatment—not that she expected it in the first place—but the fact that she was almost so readily left to starve for half a day is still concerning.

"Must've been some nightmare you were having," Janet goes on around her food. Nui purses her lips and nods. The nightmares aren't something she particularly likes thinking about. "I'd ask if you were one of the guides, but…"

Janet lifts her cuffed arm, bringing Nui's along with her.

"Y—Yeah…"

The response earns her an amused tilt of Janet's head, food abandoned in favour of observing Nui's embarrassment. "My, the plucky one was right," she drawls. "What in the world did someone as soft as you do to wind up with us?"

Nui stares at her for a moment. She debates answering truthfully, saving time repeating herself over and over once she gets to the camp, but something nips at her. Wouldn't it be easier to just be quiet and wait the three months out? Wouldn't it be easier to just let everyone else jump to their own conclusions? She got to known Akiko for less than an hour, and Janet's initiating conversation with her, but Nui doesn't know what either of them did to wind up on a trip to the Home.

She looks back down at her food and places her chopsticks neatly over the top of it. If she debates explaining things, she'll remember Horibe more. If she speaks, she'll admit to what she did to Horibe. If she tries to justify herself, she'll desperately try shift the blame to Horibe.

Nui pushes the container away. She's barely eaten a quarter of it, but the nightmare and the conversation have soured her appetite. Janet raises her brows and just goes back to her own food, unfazed by the reaction from Nui and going back to her own business.

When they're back at the bus, the five newcomers all take turns introducing themselves. The two that are cuffed go first, the foreign male being put in the spotlight.

He has a mane of unkempt brown hair, definitely standing over six feet in height, and for the most part he looks average. Average clothes, average looks, maybe above-average physique. Like the others, he definitely looks like he doesn't shirk his physical routine. There's a slight accent to his voice when he introduces himself, too, and Nui struggles to place it even after he says his name—Marcos Rodriguez. No matter how much she tries to wrack her brain for an origin, Nui's too frazzled from her awakening to think properly. Mexican? Spanish? He's got to be Spanish, right?

The girl he'd been cuffed to is the epitome of "casual older solder" in both looks in mannerisms. Nui's an only child, but she's seen enough siblings in school and club presidents to know the kind of demeanour this girl gives off. Black mid-neck bob, upturned hazel eyes, roughly the same height as Nui. Her old yellow- and white-striped shirt and dirty gym shoes definitely top off the casual look to her, but it's her greeting that puts Nui at most ease. She nods to everyone, giving a lazy wave, and introduces herself as Mizushima Hajime. Then she goes on to tell everyone that no, Jiji is not an acceptable nickname for her under any circumstances.

The first of the uncuffed kids steps forward, and he's surprisingly chipper despite both the hour and company. He has a sort of feline look to him, and it's hard to ignore the shade of red his eyes are. Like Marcos his hair is dark brown, long and unkempt, and the bangs crossing over his face look to be meticulously styled to stay that way.

"Good morning!" he almost sings to the passengers. A few dry stares are already on him. "My name's Kuroda Shinya and I'll be one of the guides! Lookin' forward to getting to know you guys!"

Like Janet, the second uncuffed kid has bold red hair that's hard to miss. He has a friendly demeanour, much like Hajime and Shinya, but he also gives off the personality of a jokester alongside it. He's got a dark green bomber jacket on over his white shirt, and the casual look to him is rounded off with the jeans he wears with them. He grins playfully at everyone during his introduction.

"I'm Pierre Adkins," he says. "Came all the way over from America. Here's hoping the Home is a step up from some of the camps back home, yeah?"

The final uncuffed teen is a girl, also giving off the older sister vibe that Hajime displayed. Unlike casual Hajime, though, this girl seems almost delicate and soft. Her chocolate-coloured hair is long and straight, tied back into a neat half-ponytail, and she wears a neat plaid dress underneath a long yellow cardigan. She even goes so far as to bow to the passengers, soft smile on her face as she stands back up.

"My name is Tachibana Yuna," she says, voice as soft as her looks, "and I look forward to getting to know you all. Let's do our best at the Home, okay?"

That brings them to… Thirteen? Nui thinks she can trust her math for the moment, though probably only at grade school levels. The three guides take seats in the middle of the bus, all resuming their conversations from breakfast—but Shinya is quick to call out to the driver, making an announcement that surprises almost everyone on the bus.

"We need to go to Kabukicho for Yuwaku-san, sir!"

Nui's face explodes with heat. Kabukicho? The Red Light District? One of the campers is _there_? The reactions of the others range from amused to disgusted, but Nui struggles to put each one to a face as her mind begins to swirl.

She's never been somewhere like Kabukicho. She's not supposed to be anywhere near somewhere like Kabukicho! If her parents had their way, Nui would never even know what Kabukicho was! She curls up in her seat and pulls her hood over her head. No, no, no, this is too embarrassing! Everyone already thinks she's a murderer—what will they say if _somehow_ they found out she had to stop at Kabukicho?

Her face is buried in her hands for the short detour. She refuses to take them away from her eyes until the new camper is well on the bus, beginning their introduction and getting them out of this place as soon as possible.

She almost expected some perverted boy like that Akiko implied, probably getting a last minute exchange before three months of being under lock and key. But when she looks up, Nui's lost for words at the sight of the new camper.

This girl… She's a goddess, Nui thinks. Despite the lacy, provocative outfit she wears that would make Nui's mother faint out of shock, she gives off such a stunning image that Nui feels drawn to. For a moment she forgets this girl was just picked up from Kabukicho. Dark purple-black hair, broken up only by a streak of white hair on the left side, held back in ornate buns while an amber left eye and chartreuse right eye regard the passengers with a sort of knowing look. Her gaze settles on Shinya, and she lets out a graceful, soft laugh at the sight of him.

"Yuwaku Ariakaria," she announces to the bus. "It's nice to see at least one familiar face this year."

Nui finds herself flustered again when Ariakaria strides to the back of the bus, settling down in the seat right next to Nui. It's hard not to stare at the taller girl—she has to be over six feet, for sure—and Nui resigns herself to her hoodie-hiding fate. If she can make the final stops pretending she's not looking at the girl next to her, maybe she won't die of a combination of self-consciousness and overwhelming beauty assaulting her.

* * *

The next stop is at least an hour away. Nui's never heard of Tokonosu before, but it's big enough to make her wonder if she's been living with her head under a rock. They drive past kids up early for school, probably walking to their morning club activities, and almost all of them stop to see what the bus with sixteen teens driving past is up to.

Tokonosu is homely, in an urban kind of way. Not a big, big city like Tokyo, but still bigger than some places Nui has been while still retaining that local feel to it. She wouldn't mind coming back for a visit when she's done with the Home.

The stop at Tokonosu only has one teen, and his appearance alone sets Nui into high alert. Tall—too tall, over six feet and counting—and so bulky that he looks like he could toss someone like Nui around like it's nothing. His black hair is medium-length, a mess of fluffy strands that goes in every direction and looking like all he's done is sweep it out of his eyes; his eyes, so predatory and hard to watch for too long, are a shade of orange that reminds Nui of a lizard. And it's not just the colour—the alive yet dead look to them just makes him seem even more reptilian, and she can't help comparing it to the feline features of Shinya in the middle of the bus.

He's stoic as he gets on the bus, and while it's not much of a change from the other silent campers, Nui still feels uneasy when she takes into account just how scary he looks. His expression hardly changes until he begins to speak, but even the uncertainty of his face looks intimidating to Nui.

"Avian Krasnov," he says at first. And then, once his face takes on an uncertain change, he tries again, "Krasnov… Avian?"

Shinya raises a hand and calls out, "It's the first one, Avi-kun. Good to see you again!"

Avian gives him the most confused look Nui's ever seen. Does he not recognise Shinya? Is he pretending not to recognise Shinya? Did he just forget the other boy, if this truly isn't Avian's first time at the Home? The possibilities run through her mind too fast for her to register.

Beside her, Ariakaria lets out a hum. "It seems a year really can change a man," she notes, an amused lilt to her voice. She glances at Nui, that amusement still there, and adds, "Perhaps even for the better, little one."

Nui's thankful that there's only one more camper to pick up before arriving at the Home. The sooner she can get off this bus, the better.

* * *

The final camper is picked up at Sendai, the bus stopping at 10:08AM. Another boy, evening out the ratio the Home prides itself on in fliers, and Nui watches him like a hawk as Ariakaria leans over to get a better look. There's not a lot she can tell from this distance other than that he looks average— _normal_. At the start of this trip she'd expected anything but, yet when she looks to the front of the bus and waits for the newcomer to enter, normal is all she can see.

Everyone else is a teenager like her. Everyone else is going to the Home to better themselves like her. Everyone else has _troubles_ like her.

It's unnerving.

The newcomer walks onto the bus and surveys the crowd watching him. Light brown hair, dark brown eyes, tanned skin with no blemishes save for, perhaps, the mole near his chin and the piercings on his brow. He wears a simple knit cardigan over a baseball tee and dark wash jeans, and had she seen him under any other circumstances she would've assumed… Well, what could she assume? He looks like the average high schooler, like someone she'd walk past without a second guess in the halls at school.

Like someone who's anything but troublesome.

He tucks his hands into the large pockets of his cardigan, spotting a seat he seems to want by a window in the middle. He looks back to the crowd, licks his lips, and nods curtly in greeting.

"Yatsushiro Eichi," he introduces, a Tohoku dialect clear in his voice. He must actually live in Sendai.

Eichi settles into the empty row and doesn't say another word. The driver waits for everyone to call out their names in response, a process most of them are used to by now. Once all eighteen names have been said aloud, the bus sputters to life and makes it way through the final stretch of the trip: The Home for Troubled Youth.


	4. 02: First Day Jitters

**And a happy new year to all. First chapter of 2019 and it's probably set a low bar for the pre-apocalypse chapters wheeze. That said, I hope you enjoy this anyway! Writing some of these interactions was fun as heck, and I'm excited to do the others in future chapters.**

 **Oh and probably premature, but there's a poll on my profile for what I'd probs work on next that I have plans for and kinda sorta desperately need opinions on.**

* * *

 **02 - First Day Jitters**

This is one of his favourite parts of coming to the Home. Shinya rubs his hands together quietly, blows against his fingertips with a smile. Of the four beds in front of him, only his is empty. The other three have very unconscious, very unaware campers.

He throws his hands out wide, pausing for a moment to savour the silence. He swings them rapidly in front of him—but they don't connect. Instead, Shinya grabs the whistle around his neck and lets rip a deafening tweet with it.

"Up and at 'em, boys!" he yells over the groans that follow.

Waking up the campers is one of the smaller joys he has here. Working with them ranks a little higher on the list, if only because he gets three whole new people to oversee. Three people who, given his track record with this place, are _always_ interesting to observe.

The trio are at the basin outside just as the girls' side of the cabin emerge. Yuna, leading one of the squads this year, looks like the epitome of elegance. She screams "morning person". The other three behind her, though, look just a tad frazzled from their rude awakening. Shinya almost wonders how they'd look if they'd been unlucky enough wearing makeup to bed, especially with how fast everyone had passed out once they arrived after midnight. The girls arrive at the basin, wash their faces, and Shinya is left to watch them with Yuna. Across the campsite, the other cabin is slowly being emptied of tired campers.

"You ready, Tachibana-san?" Shinya asks Yuna. She smiles up at him and nods, almost excited.

"I'm actually glad we got breakfast duty on day one," she says. Shinya nods in agreement. "It's such a good way to kick off the team building without having to compete."

With adults overseeing them, the campers all gather at the clearing in between both cabins. The log benches are clean and the fire pit in the middle of them is empty, but Shinya knows tonight will rectify that when everyone gathers to do their mandatory "fun fact". It's always unavoidable, and it always ends with someone causing a stir with drama from outside the camp.

Pierre and Hajime join them, Hajime looking a little out of place as she glances between the trio standing in front of them. Shinya watches as she leans over to Pierre and asks why she's standing too. Pierre simply says she must've been the staff's best pick to lead the last squad.

Said staff gives each of them papers, complete with a schedule for the week and the campers they'll be leading. The four are left to address the rest once more as the staff backs off and keeps watch.

"Good morning, everyone," Yuna says, taking the reins. No one replies, either too tired or remaining silent out of respect. "Welcome to the Home for Troubled Youth—the rehabilitation camp that helps teens like yourselves readjust to society in whatever way you require. As you all know from the bus trip over, I'm Tachibana Yuna and I'll be one of the four guides during your stay here!"

Shinya jumps in as soon as she finishes, continuing their explanation. "I've been here the most out of the guides, so I'll explain how things work in the Home. You've got two cabins we all sleep in—Equator and Polar—which in turn houses just two squads. For those who struggle with geography, Equator Cabin houses East and West Squads, while Polar Cabin houses North and South Squads. Tachibana-san and I are the South and North Squad guides, respectively, while Adkins-san and Mizushima-san will be leading East and West."

A few heads nod along.

"We all have responsibilities during our stay here," Shinya goes on, "and it's very important that we all do our part as per our schedules. We have chores, yes, but those chores earn us activities that make the Home feel less like a prison and more like a… vacation, you could say."

Hajime clears her throat and looks over at the other guides. "Do we read out who's in our squads now?"

Yuna nods. "Why don't you two go first? Kuroda-san and I have a special task for our squads this morning."

"Oh," Shinya adds, "and since we're all guides, feel free to just call me Shinya."

Hajime and Pierre nod. They quietly debate who gets to go first, eventually deciding on Pierre, and Shinya just watches the faces of the campers for some kind of reaction. The bus ride over lets them form opinions right off the bat, and some campers _loathe_ the guides they get.

"Okay," Pierre announces. "East Squad will be myself, Akiyama-san—" Minori shifts almost uncomfortably in her spot. "—Yuwaku-san—" Aria, someone Shinya knows from the last few years, smirks and crosses one leg over the other. "—and Krasnov-san." Avian looks from Minori to Aria, almost nervous, and Shinya takes in the cluelessness in his eyes. If the report he received this morning is to be believed, Avian has absolutely no memory of his past visit to the Home, let alone why he's even here now. "We'll be hiking with West Squad to properly wake up and build an appetite."

Hajime shifts on her feet and picks up where Pierre left off. "West Squad will be me, Shimizu-san—" Akiko nods and gives Hajime a mock salute. "—Rodriguez-san—" Marcos looks at his feet with disdain. "—and Takeda-san." Jun, the final member, purses his lips and holds back whatever other reaction he has. "Like Adkins-san said, we're hiking this morning."

The six campers are instructed to get up and follow Hajime and Pierre. Shinya watches over his shoulder, keeping track of them until they reach the small opening where the hiking trail begins. While it feels like an open space once they reach that area, Shinya knows that the fencing extends far and high enough to keep everyone locked in and accounted for.

Yuna leans back until she blocks his view of the retreating campers. "Kuroda-san? If you will?"

"Ah, right. Thanks, Tachibana-san."

"Yuna is fine, _Shinya_." She giggles at him. The remaining campers all stare at them dryly. Looks like not everyone is in the mood for banter.

"I'll be leading North Squad," Shinya announces, "and with me will be Yatsushiro-san—" Eichi nods, content with the announcement. "—Connelly-san—" Janet keeps her expression neutral, scanning the rest of the campers for the last member. "—and Suzuki-san." Nui, the final member, clutches at the hem of her dress nervously. Poor thing's been on edge the whole time since Shinya first saw her.

She'll be fun to watch over.

"The rest of us will be South Squad," Yuna cheers. "So Honnouji-san, Ohicko-san, Yoarashi-san, let's do our best!"

Haku actually cheers along with the declaration. Tadase and Karenachi, however, look a tad less enthused.

"We'll be making breakfast together this morning," Yuna goes on, "but don't worry, this also means we get first pick of what we eat. Like Shinya said, the hard work is rewarded with privileges."

The idea of being the first to eat seems to ease a few campers' concerns. One by one they rise, a few stretching and trying to wake up some more, and then Shinya and Yuna begin leading them to the mess hall. It's towards the eastern side of the camp, out of the way from the big activity area in the middle while still being closer to the Equator Cabin. On colder days, East and West Squad are the lucky ones if they're put on kitchen duty.

But that's okay, Shinya thinks, because the Polar Cabin gets the view of the garden rather than the mess hall walls. Much prettier sight to start the day with.

He's not surprised to find the kitchen in top condition, cleaned from top to bottom by the staff prior to the campers' arrival. It's like this every year, after all. And just like every year, each benchtop has a laminated recipe sitting on it with the day's meals. Shinya claps his hands once and rubs them together.

"Alright," he says. "Yuna, which half do you wanna take?"

Yuna ponders it for a moment. She looks back to her squad, and poses a very simple question to the trio: "How confident are you all at cooking?"

Haku and Karenachi are silent, one out of disappointment and the other out of uncertainty. Shinya feels sort of bad for Yuna if her whole squad doesn't know how to cook, but he's sure the recipes on the benches are simple enough to follow. Tadase, at the very least, creases his brow and raises a hand to answer.

"Honnouji-san?" Yuna calls upon him, eyes lighting up. Tadase looks to everyone in the group as he considers his answer.

"I can cook," he says. "But I would prefer to not cook with another person."

It sounds like more than enough for Yuna. She looks back to Shinya with a radiant smile, more excited than ever to start breakfast.

"Then we'll take the miso and the pancake stations! Honnouji-san, I'll leave the miso soup to you."

Tadase nods. He looks sort of satisfied—it's hard for Shinya to truly tell with the mask and the whole stoic look he's got going on.

"Alright then." Shinya looks to his own squad. "We'll be working on eggs, bacon and sausage. Let's get to it!"

* * *

Not once has she seen any of the adults this morning.

Janet toys with her food absently. This feels way more lax than the detention centre she'd been in back in England. All she's seen are the cheery faces of Yuna and Shinya directing them with breakfast duty, and even before that she never noticed anything remotely close to a guard.

She can't tell if it's too easy. Can't tell if this is to trick idiots who try to walk right out the front gate. It feels too _convenient_.

She stabs a piece of her French toast with her fork. She needs to wait another day, take proper notes about every nook and cranny of the Home. Just imagine she's doing a regular job, back when things were _right_ , and execute it the same way. Janet's bided her time thus far—one more day, just one more day won't hurt.

There are, at the very least, a few different kinds of people she can observe during her stay. A few bubbly ones that she knows have something sinister bubbling beneath the surface, the angsty teens who refuse to branch out and get involved with anyone else. And, of course, the one so demure and self-conscious that Janet is just _dying_ to know what she's in for.

For the moment it's just the Polar Cabin eating breakfast, the Equator Cabin still on their morning hike. Everyone had tried to sit apart from one another, the quieter boys showing an almost antisocial solidarity and sticking to one table. Shinya's tried to sit with them, tried to start a conversation, but the trio already moved to a new table once. Now he just sits there with an amused expression, munching away as he watches the boys sit in silence.

The girls—Janet included—all seemed to gravitate to Nui once they had their servings picked out. Once Nui sat down, Yuna and Haku followed without hesitation. And Janet couldn't just sit by herself, now, could she?

Yuna sips at her miso soup and lets out a satisfied hum. "Honnouji-san really came through," she says dreamily.

"Indeed!" Haku agrees. She swallows the last of her food. "Shota-kun has given us a hearty breakfast worthy of a Dark Beast hunt!"

Janet stares at her across the table. This girl, pretty as she is, is a whole deal more ditzy than Janet had anticipated on the initial bus ride. Never uses anyone's names, always makes something about hunting Dark Beasts or whatever. What Janet finds more perplexing about the girl and her situation, though, is that almost no one is giving her a reality check. Even now, Yuna blushes and laughs as though trying to brush off Haku's remark.

"Now, now, Hellsena-sama," she whispers, "let's not make Honnouji-san angry with any nicknames he may not like."

It takes everything in her not to cringe at the outburst that comes from Haku. As the girl relents the nickname and settles on another, going so far as to call Tadase's attention to it, Janet just leans back in her seat and lets out a long, steady breath.

Nui finishes up her breakfast rather quickly, and she silently stands with her plate and utensils gripped tightly in one hand. The mousey girl just walks as fast as she can to the small tub for used dishes, sits them inside, and then pauses with a deer-in-the-headlights expression once the free seats available are in view.

Janet can see the gears working. Does she sit with the girls again? Does she sit alone? Does she do something so out of character and sit with the totally-not-socialising boys?

Or, she wonders as she catches Nui's gaze flitting to Shinya, does she sit with the "safe" option?

Janet doesn't get the chance to find out. Almost as soon as Nui starts to move, Yuna is pulling her attention back to their conversation.

"Connelly-san, you came from England, right?" she asks. There's a hint of excitement in her eyes.

She just needs to play along for one day, she reminds herself. A little small talk can't hurt. "Yeah. I mean, I was arrested and convicted in England—but I was born and raised Ireland."

"I see." Yuna nods as she folds her hands over her lap. "I've never been to another country, so I don't know how it feels to be around a new culture, but if you ever need help with anything, I'm more than happy to lend a hand!"

Janet gives her an appreciative smile, certain it's the response Yuna wants.

"That means a lot, thank you." She looks the girl up and down, still keeping that sweet smile, and adds, "Why'd you apply to be a guide? Don't take it the wrong way, but you look like too much of an honours student to be involved in this stuff."

The older girl giggles. "That's actually why I applied," she admits. "Getting into a good university with just grades alone is hard enough, but volunteer work in between semesters feels like the perfect thing to catch my first choice's eye. That, and…"

The instant Yuna looks away, Janet drops her smile and straightens her posture. Yuna's gaze moves lazily from Janet, further and further to the right—until finally it settles, already in the vicinity of the stoic boys' table. Nui isn't there—she's settled with Shinya, apparently—but it's clear that Yuna was never looking for Nui to begin with.

No, she's looking right at Tadase as he fixes his mask and neatly sits his knife and fork on his empty plate.

Yuna finishes, "Helping others makes me feel whole."

Oh God, barely even a full twenty-four hours on the premises and there's already something happening between a guide and a camper. That's not entirely a bad thing, though. Janet looks back to Yuna with a cheeky smile. If this is one-sided on Yuna's part, maybe Janet can use it to distract her. If Tadase is involved in it somehow, Janet may even be able to stage a rendezvous between them.

If the guide watching her cabin is distracted, that just makes for a better chance to escape under the cover of darkness.

"Oh?" she says, teasing Yuna. Yuna is quick to look back and stare in horror—sweet, embarrassed horror—at Janet and her remark.

"Not like that, I swear!" she insists.

Yuna doesn't get much of a chance to defend herself, and it's just the halt Janet needs for this particular topic. The Equator Cabin walks in, wide awake and hungry from their walk, and all of a sudden the tables no longer feel as isolated. It's not even as quiet as before, not with everyone kicking up a fuss about how hungry they are and how much they've been looking forward to eating.

Janet oversees the gathering from her spot. If she waits this one day, she may wind up with a whole orchestra of distractions that can play into her escape tonight. Even with the whole roster of campers in the mess hall now, she still can't see any adults. And if the adults do decide to show up once the sun goes down…

Janet looks over at the larger, more intimidating campers. It shouldn't be hard to get a rise out of them and divert attention from her.

* * *

"Ah." Eichi lifts his thumb from the garden with a blank expression. There's a small dome of blood on the verge of dripping down it already forming. "That's not good."

Karenachi, eager to avoid actually getting his hands dirty, scoots closer to him. "What's not good?"

Eichi holds the thumb out for the blond boy to see. "Cut my thumb on the rose."

That sends Karenachi shuffling backwards. "Don't shove it in my face, then!" he stresses. Eichi just grins. "Get a guide to patch it up! Tachibana-san!"

"No need," Eichi laughs. The reaction is enough to make this absolute chore of an activity feel a little less boring, but he still has, what, an hour left of it? He fishes through his pocket for a bandaid and wastes no time peeling it open. "Always keep one handy. Calm down, Ohicko-san."

And then they're back to weeding. Karenachi actually grabs a nearby stick and shoves the small rosebush back a bit with it, and Eichi's unbandaged hand remains as such once the clump of weeds comes loose from the soil. It's an explosion of dirt and dust and Karenachi drops the stick—as well as his hold on the rosebush—like a sack of bricks.

"H—Hey!" Shinya comes running over, a bag of mulch tucked in his arms. He and two others are planting the new vegetables in the other garden, which Eichi assumes will be for their final meal before they leave the Home. "Are you guys okay?"

Eichi drops the clump of weeds in the bag behind Karenachi. It's barely even half-filled, three-quarters of the garden left to pull weeds from.

"I'm alive," he reports. He shakes his shirt, and the amount of dirt that drops to the ground from within it is startling. He gives Karenachi a thumbs-up once he's semi-clean. "Ohicko-san didn't get my other hand, so we're good."

Karenachi purses his lips. He turns for Shinya and begs, "Is there something not related to the actual garden I can do? Like—Like opening packets of seeds?"

"Why?" Shinya asks. Eichi has to hold back a scoff.

"I don't think he likes how messy gardening is," he says. Karenachi looks at his feet with an almost shameful expression. "I don't blame him. My hands are gonna be scarred by the time I leave."

They both look back to Shinya. For the first time since arriving—or maybe even just seeing him on the bus—he's not smiling. No, Shinya has what can only be called a dry look on his face. He checks both boys' hands, then their tools by the garden. He blinks once, tilts his head, and doesn't even try to force a smile.

"You know you got the gloves for that, right?" he deadpans.

The next hour passes solemnly. Thanks to the gloves that Shinya waited until they'd both put on, Eichi never got another cut on his hand and Karenachi never got dirt under his fingernails.

They're called back into the mess hall for lunch by Yuna and Shinya once the hour passes. Eichi pouts at his injured thumb as he waits in line for his food. He'd really wanted his first morning activity to be, well, a _fun activity_. Not tending to a garden like he was living on a farm and had to fend for himself.

"Wish we got to play soccer instead," Karenachi mumbles behind him. Eichi hums, agreeing with the complaint. He didn't have playing sports in mind, wanting more to go on the hiking trail, but anything could've been better than gardening. Hell, he would've taken cooking again.

"You like to play?" he asks over his shoulder. Karenachi nods. The line moves up a bit, and Eichi immediately reaches for a folded omelette. Just as he moves for the rice, Karenachi grabs the same meal.

"S—Sort of…"

They both grab a soda and sit down together. Eichi scans the mess hall and takes note of where everyone sits, and it's the almost content aura radiating from Ariakaria that makes him linger on her for a second.

"I never got to play much sports," Eichi laments. Karenachi glances at him as he opens his soda. "My parents were too worried about how dangerous some of them were."

All that gets is a nervous hum on Karenachi's part. Eichi looks away from Ariakaria, curious. The blond pokes at his food with an almost distant expression, his shoulders hunched and head bowed like he's trying to fade into the background.

Eichi munches on his omelette. He hadn't gotten much of a first impression from Karenachi earlier, but he can recognise self-consciousness when he sees it. Moreso anxiety. He's not going to pry into why Karenachi would be anxious or self-conscious—God knows he doesn't like talking about his own insecurities—but at the very least, he can try and give the blond somewhere to relax.

(After all, all these big guys with stone faces and robot voices are probably the _worst_ kind of people to be around when you need a break from everything.)

He opens his own soda and takes a sip. "I did like running, though," Eichi adds, shrugging. Karenachi glances at him again, this time with a bit of interest. "Something about the wind in my hair and the burn in my muscles. Helps distract me from other things, y'know?"

"It's nice…" Karenachi mumbles.

The door to the mess hall opens loudly. Eichi takes a quick head count—sixteen, all sixteen of them are here—before he actually looks at who's arrived. The man at the door is certainly not under nineteen, and he's wearing a uniform with the same logo as the bus driver had. He has a stern look on his face as he scans the room.

When the steely gaze hits Eichi, he can feel his hands start to shake. He tries to continue eating, tries not to spill any rice, but it's so hard to keep calm. Is the man here for him? Eichi hasn't done anything wrong, has he? He hasn't taken anything, as far as he knows. Wait, he did he put the gloves away? Did something go missing from the gardening supplies?

Eichi tries to shovel the rice into his mouth, but only manages to poke sharply at his lip with the plastic fork. It hurts like a bitch, and he breaks eye contact with the adult thanks to the pain.

The man calls out, "Yuwaku-san?"

Ariakaria stands and pats down her rather scandalous clothing. Eichi still isn't sure how she's been allowed in so much revealing lace here.

"It's time for your medication, Yuwaku-san," the man goes on. As Ariakaria approaches him, Eichi can't help noticing the way he goes rigid.

The door shuts behind them. Everyone in the mess hall is silent. Seconds tick by, no one willing to say or do anything.

And then Pierre jumps out of his seat with a shriek. "Shit! I was supposed to tell her to go to the councillor's office before she ate!"

* * *

The buxom one has to take medication three times a day, Haku discovers. Once before breakfast, which reveals she rises much earlier than even her guide has to, once before lunch, and once before dinner. She only finds out this schedule when walking by the tall girl's side to the fire pit, contemplating what she'll dine on tonight after a day without encountering any Dark Beasts.

Ariakaria had said, "Forgive me, Haku-chan, but I have to go see the counselor before I eat."

Haku had replied, "Worry not, Himedere-chan! Your lovely Empress shall save you a seat most comfortable by the fire when you return."

The look of amusement had been too obvious to ignore. This isn't the reaction Haku normally gets—normally it's a roll of the eyes from plebeians who refuse the truth. But this… It's almost like Ariakaria had been looking down on her, like she saw herself mightier than the great Hellsena Minarouette Tepes herself!

It bothers Haku. It gives her a hunch that maybe, just maybe, she's found one of the allies her death mother had mentioned before.

When Ariakaria returns, taking a plate of food with her, she settles down next to Haku. Haku watches her, takes in her profile. It's darker now, for sure, but the slowly growing fire is illuminating her face well enough—and by her lips, Haku can see a smudge of something dark enough to be mistaken for lipstick.

She can't stop herself from whispering, "Himedere-chan, your mouth."

Ariakaria doesn't miss a beat. She swipes her thumb over the spot and licks the substance from the digit like a breeze.

"Alright, campers!"

Haku looks back to the fire pit. The guides are all gathered around it, ready to proceed to the next activity. Haku wonders how they'll make up for such an unproductive day.

"This is the part where we all get to know each other," Shinya explains. "We go in a circle, one by one, and announce our names and a fun fact about ourselves. A handy little ice breaker, right?"

"We guides will go first and let the rest of you take turns so there's less pressure!" Yuna cheers.

Hajime—Haku can't help feeling a draw to her, like she's just been reunited with a long lost rival on a journey they both partook—raises a hand and swallows the food she'd been chewing. "What up, I'm Hajime and I can eat an entire stack of oreos in five minutes," she deadpans.

A few campers choke on their food at the fact. Haku can even hear Pierre ask Shinya if oreos are provided at the Home.

They are sadly not, according to the veteran guide.

"I'm Pierre. I used to have 800 memes on my phone before I accidentally baked it in a cheese casserole and it died." As he's met with horrified expressions, Pierre rests a hand over his heart and sniffs. "Rest in peace, old Samsung Galaxy X."

"My name is Shinya, and, ah…" Shinya clears his throat, suddenly bashful. "I haven't even given my first kiss yet…"

"You said that last year," Ariakaria calls out. Akiko agrees and declares they've been cheated out of a new fact.

Yuna, at least, takes over before an argument breaks out. Much like Shinya, her fact is romantic in topic: "My name is Yuna. My dream is to one day fall in love. It's a little embarrassing," she adds with a nervous laugh.

With the guides out of the way, half playing around and half confessional, it falls to the rest of the group to reply in kind. No one makes immediate moves to say anything—but then a hand raises and a voice calls out, breaking the short-lived silence and kicking off the next batch of facts.

"Name's Akiko, and I can hold my breath for a long time since I used to freedive."

Akiko points to the person next to her—Marcos—and finishes with a flat, "Pass."

The facts, Haku finds with growing excitement, don't slow as they move in a circle.

"My name is Marcos. I refuse to eat with chopsticks."

"Jun. Fuck off."

"U—Um… Karenachi… I can play multiple instruments."

"Minori, and I wound up here due to my _lovely_ experience almost OD-ing." (Haku can't help notice the way Karenachi's eyes light up at this revelation.)

"I am Tadase. I have stabbed an eye… and I am willing to do it again."

Nui, seated next to Tadase, is stunned silent before someone sets her back on track. "I—I'm Nui, and, um… I taught myself how to play a bass in middle school?"

"I'm Janet. I can do really good impressions, I guess."

Ariakaria shifts in her seat. It's her turn now, and she flicks her hair over her shoulder. Haku watches her with bated breath.

"I am Ariakaria, though you're welcome to call me Aria." She smiles in a way that Haku can only call seductive. "My beauty transcends human ability, and the only way I can keep that up is the blood of those that are inferior to me. They are willing to make sacrifices, and it provides me with eternal beauty."

What?

Haku blinks at her, still holding her breath.

What did she just say?

Haku's mind goes into overdrive as everyone else starts kicking up a fuss. While they all ask what the hell she means and just what kind of acts she got up to outside the Home, Haku recalls her mother's words. She knows she'll find allies here—fifteen people in this camp, she's bound to uncover one or two—and it's always _, always_ the same hints that had awakened her to her own past life and powers.

Beauty transcending human ability… People inferior to her making sacrifices in her name… Maybe… Maybe Aria is an ally from Haku's previous life…

The chatter grows more and more. Haku just barely remembers to breathe as Aria catches her stare; she can feel the giant smile on her face becoming wider by the second, and Aria doesn't seem at all fazed by the expression in the slightest.

She may be aware of the real danger posed by the Dark Beasts and her own true nature, Haku thinks with a flutter of hope.

Aria rises to her feet and claps her hands loudly. All eyes land on her, stunned silence settling over the group. The guides all look to each other nervously.

"Let's keep it down, everyone," Aria says, and Haku can easily catch the warning in her alluring tone. "It's Haku-chan's turn to say her fact."

Haku jumps to her feet as well. She reaches for one of Aria's hands and holds it carefully in her own. Haku drops to one knee and stares up at Aria, her wide grin turning into a charming, regal smile.

"My thanks, Himedere-chan," she says smoothly.

"Ah, Yoarashi-san," Shinya calls out. Haku looks over at him with furrowed brows. How dare he interrupt this sacred bond she shares with Aria now? "Remember to keep the fact to this realm, okay?"

Haku clicks her tongue. "Insolent," she mutters. "You would deprive my subjects of my numerous feats?"

He lets out a small huff of a laugh. "More like keep them in suspense."

She rights herself and waits for Aria to sit down, and it's not long until she jumps into her own useless, minor feat of a fact. Honestly, she could've boasted the number of Dark Beasts she'd slain or how young she'd been when she'd usurped the previous Demon Queen. After such an amazing revelation from Aria, how can she not respond in kind?

But Haku crosses her arms in front of her chest and sticks her nose in the air, compliant with Shinya's wishes—for now.

"My _plebeian_ name is Haku, but I will accept the title Empress or Hellsena-sama," she growls. "I _suppose_ my _amazing_ feat as _Haku_ is winning a silver medal in a junior state-level fencing tournament."

Someone mutters how this explains she's still alive despite her mental state. Haku jumps back to her feet and gets into a fighting stance.

"Who dares disrespect their Empress!" she shouts. "Come! Face me in battle and show me your worth!"

And these insolent fools who call themselves guides just command her to sit back down, to ignore this slight against her great name. Haku relents, takes her seat again, and settles a glare on the boy beside her.

"State your fact, Ponytail, before I lose my patience."

Eichi stares at her blankly. He actually takes a few seconds to process what she's said, and all it earns is another click of the tongue from Haku. That, at least, makes him look back to the rest of the group with his blank stare.

"Okay…" Eichi clears his throat. "I'm Eichi. I once got an allergic reaction to kissing my ex 'cause she'd eaten peanuts for lunch. So guys, please don't keep any peanuts around me."

The final camper is Avian. He looks from one side of the group to the other, his eyes wide and his jaw dropped somewhat. Haku sizes him up, compares his reaction to his titan form. She'd resolved to keep an eye on him in the beginning, but being in separate Squads has made it difficult.

In the most gentle voice of them all, Avian says, "My name is Avian, though I don't mind being called Avi. Uh… I can crush things with my thighs. Watermelons, specifically."

Well that's no easy feat. Haku leans forward a bit and takes renewed interest in the larger boy. He and Aria are in the same Squad, so perhaps she can get Aria to keep an eye on him for her. A favour from one potential-ally-reincarnated to another.

With all the facts stated, all the names refreshed for everyone, the guides dismiss them. Night hours are when they're allowed any activity they wish, with the exception of hiking too far up the trail. Yuna even goes so far as to announce she'll be holding a game of truth or dare, while Shinya declares that he'll be overseeing the games room for anyone who wants a friendly competition.

Haku has many options to pass the first night in this area, she thinks, and all of them are _perfect_ for her scouting of allies.


	5. 03: Fun and Games

**Hey hey! New update out that I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

 **03 - Fun and Games**

Of all the games available at the Home for the troubled and otherwise unstable youths to play, of course they have Monopoly.

Akiko had avoided the games room like the plague last year, preferring to keep to herself and avoid everyone else. But that's how someone got kicked out early last year—among other things—and the last thing she needs is to be kicked out after just a single day. She leans back in her chair as the other three pick their own pieces. Shinya is playing the role of banker, smiling pleasantly, and Akiko had grabbed whatever piece was closest for her own.

In one corner sits Tadase, nose buried in a book and keeping notable distance from the others. Karenachi silently plays solitaire at the other table. Marcos has long since left, preferring to keep to himself and wander the grounds. Jun, much like Akiko had the previous year, resolved to simply call it an early night. The same can be said for Minori, who thankfully isn't assigned to the Polar Cabin where the other half of the group is located.

Any of the girls not in the room are playing truth or dare—something Akiko is more than happy to skip for a second year. She heard some stuff went down between the group who'd participated last year, some of it relating to the one who got kicked out and sent back to their juvie. Too unpredictable for her tastes.

Haku grabs the light green deer token, and then slides the light blue one to Avi. "You should use this one!" she insists. "Blue seems more your colour!"

Akiko spins the little white deer with a blank expression. At least with their selections out of the way, they can start playing.

Just as Shinya starts divvying out the play money, Eichi takes the spare seat next to him and grabs the little black deer. "Mind if I join?"

Shinya gives him a half-smile and passes the money to him as well. "I won't make it easy for you," he says almost knowingly.

Akiko tries to figure out what the hell he means, knowing that the banker has almost no effect on the game unless consequences strike the players. But then she catches him glance at her as well, that same knowing look in his eye. How the hell did she forget that the guides have access to the campers' files? Of course Shinya would be lighthearted over why Eichi, and even Akiko herself, are at the Home.

And of course, Eichi laughs off the remark and sets his deer on the starting point. "Don't worry, I'm not in the mood to take play money," he jokes.

Shinya turns his attention partially to Akiko, but quickly moves on to Haku beside her.

"Yoarashi-san, you didn't want to play truth or dare with the other girls?" he asks lightly. Haku crosses her arms in front of her and shakes her head.

"I could _never_ pass up an opportunity to build a rapport with my subjects," she boasts. "I even brought my own items for camaraderie ceremonies, should you not have enough." She pauses. Haku jumps from her chair and shoves a hand into her coat, pulling from it a bundle of coloured bands made of a material Akiko can't quite place. She knows it's durable, though, because she's seen girls at her school wear similar for months on end without a hint of wear and tear. "While I'm at it, I have gifts for you all! Every single one hand-crafted with individual colours meant only for the recipient! And they match my own," she adds proudly.

Haku displays not only the fistfull of friendship bands, but also the dark green one tied neatly around her wrist. Akiko's surprised she never noticed earlier.

"One for Deredere-san!" She chucks the red one to Shinya. "One for Ponytail!" The light green one lands in front of Eichi. "One for Bamboo-kun!" Avi takes the light blue one from her without so much as a word. "And finally, one for Kuudere-chan!" Haku hands Akiko a dark blue band.

She tries her best not to comment on the nickname she's been bestowed. At least it's not something chuuni-themed.

Shinya puts his band on with a bright expression. "I have to say, this is the first time someone's brought gifts," he remarks.

Haku poses in a way she _must_ think is noble. "You've never been in the presence of the Demon Queen before."

"Hey, Shimizu-san." Eichi struggles to put his own on, but perseveres as he addresses Akiko. "Why didn't _you_ wanna play truth or dare? Don't most girls like it?"

Shinya passes the dice to her and motions for her to roll them. Looks like they're deciding the order based on the highest roll, she thinks. Akiko drops them on the table lazily and counts five. Last turn, for sure.

"Playing it here is the worst kind of gamble imaginable," she sighs. Shinya nods in agreement, passing the dice to Haku as he writes down Akiko's result.

"Last year someone got sent back to their detention centre," Shinya tells Eichi. The boy gawks, probably trying to process how a game of truth or dare led to being kicked out. "It's not my place to say what happened, but apparently the staff takes punishment for what went down much more seriously."

"More serious than the shed?" Akiko laughs.

Shinya nods. Haku rolls the dice and turns up an eight. She passes them to Avi.

"But we have Yuna keeping an eye on them! And Mizushima-san seems the reliable sort," he reasons. Avi rolls the dice. Four. Akiko raises her brows and ponders her luck, not getting the last turn.

Finally Eichi rolls, and he makes it to the first turn with a ten. His little deer starts its journey and is soon followed by Haku's. For a few moments it's peaceful, the game continuing on and the money being distributed without complaint.

And then Shinya pauses as he passes some to Avi. "Ah. Then again, Aria-chan said she wanted to play as well."

Avi goes stiff at the mention of the girl's name. Akiko doesn't quite react the same, but she knows enough to understand what Shinya is implying. Aria's "medicine" doesn't just come into her possession prior to her meals. In fact, Aria's probably considered a major concern to those not already wrapped around her finger.

"She did seem interested in some of them playing," Akiko mumbles. Avi's gaze flickers to her, growing increasingly agitated. She _did_ give him a lot of uncomfortable attention during the hike. Maybe it's Avi wishing they'd stop talking about the girl. But Akiko can't stop her train of thought as she recalls the girls involved. Yuna, Janet, Hajime, Aria… "Oh. Suzuki-san."

And she went through the trouble of warning her about the unsavoury types on the bus. Akiko sure let that one fly by thanks to how used to Aria she'd become.

"W—Well, it's just truth or dare!" Eichi laughs. "What's the worst that can happen?"

In an almost comically timed act, Shinya and Akiko meet each other's gazes before flitting to Avi's.

Avi bolts out of his chair and runs for the games room door. Akiko and Shinya follow, alarmed and snapping at his heels in an attempt to calm him. Akiko can just barely catch the movement of Shinya pulling the camp-supplied taser from his pocket. For her own safety, she hangs back with the growing crowd of other spectators behind her.

Marcos barely moves from his spot outside the mess hall at the mere sight of the spectacle. Akiko just gives him a half-hearted wave in passing, her gaze half on Avi as he rounds the corner of the Polar Cabin to the girls' side and half on Haku who slowly overtakes her with an excited grin.

"I knew it," the girl mutters to herself. Her grin grows even more as they reach the Polar Cabin, just in time to see Shinya disappear inside. "I knew it!"

* * *

Just one round of fun, and then she'll slip out for the night. There have been plenty of interesting people sent to the Home this year, even the ones returning for a second or third time. But it's the newcomers who have her interest the most, and it's the newcomers who make up the bulk of the game in the Polar Cabin.

Aria plays with her hair as the girls take their turns, keeping the game relatively tame despite the privacy they have. The most they've dared to risk is asking in the first round if she was serious at the campfire—and Aria reassures them that she doesn't joke around when it comes to her beauty. Especially not when her little Bloodies are so devoted to her very existence, unwilling to let time claim her radiance.

It's Yuna's turn, Janet asking the question of truth or dare, and the girl politely answers, "Truth."

Janet grins. "Have you got a _thing_ for Honnouji?"

Yuna flushes beet red and waves her hands about. Aria leans forward, intrigued by the outburst. Well, well, one day and there's a crush floating around. It beats the last record of two, especially since the holder of the title used to be rather obsessive about his infatuation. "Love at first sight", he'd called it—but even Aria knows when a man is thinking with his other head.

"Absolutely not!" Yuna insists. Hajime raises a brow at her, almost as though demanding a more believable answer. Even to those outside of the immediate cabin, it seems Yuna's interest in Tadase is obvious. Aria has to wonder if he himself has noticed yet. Yuna soon relents, combing her fingers through her hair and puffing out her cheeks in a positively _adorable_ act of submission. "I—I mean… Honnouji-san is definitely the kind of boy I like… B—But I think a lot of people here would be my type as well! It's not just him!"

Janet lets out a hum. "So you're crushing on multiple people, is what you're saying?"

Yuna pouts and turns to Hajime. "I answered the first question! Hajime-chan, it's your turn! Truth or dare?"

Hajime smoothly replies, "Truth."

"Did you smuggle anything into the Home that isn't allowed?" Yuna asks. Her pout turns into a devious grin, like she thinks she's turned the tables. Aria can't help the small chuckle she lets out.

Hajime clears her throat and avoids Yuna's gaze. "I didn't bring anything deadly, if that's what you're asking."

"Anything _not allowed_ ," she presses. Yuna leans closer. "I promise I won't report you. Guides' honour!"

There's a few seconds of silence, and then, "My iPod…"

Yuna's hand lands on Hajime's shoulder almost daintily. "There's a plug inside the kitchen you can charge it with," she tells Hajime. The other girl's expression lights up with hope and joy. "We switch kitchen duty every second day, so you can charge it then!"

Hajime relaxes quite a bit with her own turn out of the way. She looks from Aria to Nui, and then to Janet—the trio who have yet to have a turn picking their poison this round. She visibly weighs her options, lingering on one and then moving to another, until finally she looks at Aria.

"Truth or dare?" she says.

Aria smiles pleasantly. "Dare," she says, breaking the pattern of truths they'd circled around in.

Hajime straightens her posture and says, "I dare you to put your hair into as many ponytails as you can."

Juvenile. Aria does it anyway, humouring the other girl and managing eight small ponytails before they run out of even rubber bands to tie them with. Aria doesn't bother undoing them when her turn is over, if only because she knows one of them will make her do it again. It's a small price to pay for her own chance to return the favour.

She looks Janet dead in the eye and winks as she asks, "Truth or dare?"

The wink gets Janet's interest, who responds slowly, "Dare."

Aria claps her hands together once. "Well, in the spirit of Yuna-chan's intimate truth," she declares, "I dare you to kiss someone here, Janet-chan!"

The room goes silent. Each of the girls' reactions are a thing to behold: Hajime goes stiff, an awkward grin on her face as she tries to laugh off the dare; Yuna blinks once, only to drop her jaw and watch Janet like a hawk for movement; Nui goes a deep red and clutches the hem of her sweatshirt, almost like she's scared she'll be picked; and Janet, whose gaze slowly crawls its way to the beet-faced girl beside her.

After an eternity, Janet smiles back at Aria and says, "Alright."

Aria watches with a small smile as Janet advances on the nervous girl. Nui's mouth opens and closes, sounds trying to come out as she watches Janet with wide eyes; Janet just continues to move, one arm reach behind Nui to not only brace the redhead, but also box Nui in.

 _This_ is what truth or dare is meant for, that much Aria knows. Even little kids give out dares like this to root out juvenile crushes and to make fun of each other. They just needed a little shove, she thinks, and she asked the perfect person to get the ball rolling.

Maybe, before she leaves, she'll find another Bloodie among the girls. It's nice to find companions of the fairer sex, after all.

Janet's other hand cups Nui's cheek, and before the bespectacled girl can even attempt to say something for the umpteenth time, their lips lock. It starts off chaste, the kind Aria had expected overall that would end the dare early; but then Janet, stare locked on Nui's eyes, moves just a little closer and works her jaw.

"Oh my…" Yuna whispers. Her hand slowly comes up to cover her own mouth, eyes still wide.

Another motion, and the kiss is clearly deepening. Nui's eyes start to water, her hands shakily trying to reach for Janet but falling short by mere seconds. Instead they clutch her own sweatshirt, knuckles stark white as she squeezes her eyes shut.

Hajime leans onto her knees, growling, "Hey, that's long enough, isn't it?"

Maybe for Nui, who clearly isn't breathing through her nose. But no one gets to respond. The door to the girls' room slams open, and a hulking figure casts a shadow over them.

Aria looks up at Avi with glee. _Yes_. Now this just made the game interesting! She watches him take in the scene, the appearance of Janet disengaging from Nui with an almost surprised expression. Shinya shouts from a short distance away, and Aria can hear— Oh, the familiar clicks of a taser! She knew one of the guides would use it like every other year!

Quicker than she thought possible, Avi sprints into the room and beelines through the circle for Janet. Janet jumps into a crouch, immediately on alert at the sight of danger, and actually manages to do a backwards roll out of harm's way. Avi skids past her, rage evident on his face, and he wastes no time throwing the first thing within reach at her.

Shinya lets out a scream so high-pitched that Aria thinks it's Yuna at first, but it's him collapsed on the floor in shock at the wooden chair crashing and shattering against the door. His taser falls from his hand as he clutches his chest and sucks in deep breaths. Yuna is quick to dive for it, displaying a speed Aria hadn't expected. Janet and Avi dodge and swipe, respectively, and Hajime does her best to pull Nui out of the crossfire once the gap between the two teens closes.

Janet delivers trained punches to Avi's legs, slowly moving up to his torso. Avi, undeterred, practically spear tackles her to the floor and readies a fist to strike. His first strike misses, knuckles cracking loudly against the hardwood floor; as he flinches, Janet swipes her nails across his cheek and aims for his eyes.

He readies another punch, knocking down Janet's arm with his free hand, and for a moment Aria expects to see a broken nose.

Yuna drives the taser deep into the skin of Avi's neck, and she's merciless as she activates it. Avi convulses, a pained grunt escaping him. While he's distracted, Janet takes her chance to slide out from under him and retreat to the group gathered at the door.

For good measure, Yuna tases Avi a second time. He convulses once more, until finally he's unable to move at all.

Shinya looks up at the crowd gathered behind him and orders, "Someone go get Pierre-kun and a staff member!"

Aria can only watch with a satisfied smirk as her entertainment draws to a close.

* * *

If all he had to do to get some peace and quiet was try and kill someone out of the blue, Jun would've done it the moment he stepped into the Home.

He stares out into the open area, where the lonesome shed is located, as he wets a towel in the basin to wash his face with. It's an easy enough task, if all he has to do is pick a fight, but the question is mainly with who. Pierre's too much of a jokester to actually get into a proper fight with, and Shinya's got to be the biggest diplomatic he's met during his whole criminal career. There's Tadase, but picking a fight with someone that small feels too easy. Karenachi and Eichi probably won't give him much to go on, too closed off and casual respectively.

Marcos, though… Maybe a fight with another kid from juvie would be his ticket to the shed. It already helps that the guy's dislike for Jun's own culture can be used as a solid motivation.

Jun wipes at his face and listens as Pierre wakes up their side of the Equator Cabin. Slowly they all trail out, one by one, and the redhead greets Jun with that overly friendly smile of his.

"You're up early!" Pierre remarks. "Thanks for getting ready right away, Takeda-san."

Jun doesn't answer him. He just wrings his towel and dabs his face one more time.

He looks back at the shed again as he finishes up. Pierre catches his gaze, watching the shed as well for a few moments, before he sighs.

"Sorry about the ruckus last night, too. Didn't expect shit to hit the fan on day one."

Jun glances down at him, then back at the shed. "How long is Krasnov-san in there for?"

Pierre raises his brows. "Uh… I think the whole night, and he misses breakfast. Well, the good portions, I think."

Almost a solid nine hours. Lucky bastard.

"What if he'd done it in the middle of the day?"

Pierre shrugs. "Then half a day? I actually never asked the staff about it," he admits sheepishly. "You worried?"

Jun actually lets out a snort. Now that's a joke if he ever heard one. Pierre just lets out another sheepish sound before moving on to the other boys in their cabin, checking their conditions and making sure they're ready for the day. Jun watches him, taking in the sight of Marcos giving the foreign boy actual answers instead of indignant grunts.

Jun throws his towel into the small laundry bucket by the basin. Yeah, Marcos is his ticket to the shed alright. All he has to do is wait for Avi to be released and vacate the area.

"Pierre-kun!"

All eyes flicker to the girls' side of the cabin. Hajime is sprinting out, two others behind her and tiredly making their ways to their own basins. Minori and Akiko just get straight to washing their faces as Hajime skids to a halt in front of Pierre and Marcos.

Marcos moves away from the, disdain clear on his face. Hajime ignores him, her focus still on Pierre.

"Have you seen Yuwaku-san?" she asks, half-breathless. Jun raises a brow at the question. The maneater? What's she got to do with anything?

Pierre looks back at Jun. It takes him a second to realise he's asking if Jun had seen her while he was awake, and Jun just shakes his head and resumes his morning routine. Pierre shrugs at Hajime, which elicits a groan from the girl.

"She wasn't in the cabin," she says. "I thought she was already awake, but—"

"Mizushima-san," Akiko calls. Jun looks back at them again, if only to see what the experienced one of the bunch has to say. "She does this all the time. Just let the staff know and they'll bring her back."

Minori actually looks up from her towel with furrowed brows. "Seriously?" she says dryly.

"Yeah. Camp tries to keep her fans out of the roster, but they find a way and give her the keys to the main gate so she can roam."

Pierre and Hajime stare at Akiko with different kinds of shock. From Hajime, there's only horror and disbelief as her jaw drops and her shoulders sag. For Pierre, he's stiff and smiling blankly, almost as though struggling to process what's going on.

Jun shakes his head and continues on with his morning routine. They've truly picked the worst kids to keep everyone in line—and he's going to prove that once breakfast is over, drive the point home to staff that it's only a matter of time until he gets his way.

The morning goes on peacefully. Equator Cabin is put in charge of making breakfast, Aria missing from the lineup as the head of staff angrily drives out of the Home. Jun watches his target carefully, waits for just the right moment to strike. He sits at the same table as Marcos, toying with his plastic spoon as he waits for the telltale sign of Avi being brought back inside.

Polar Cabin filters in. Jun slowly finishes off his food and starts bending the spoon. If he can get the tip to snap off, he'll be in just enough trouble to get a whole _day_ in the shed. No group activities, no stupid goddamn team building exercises, no having to put up with all these idiots around him.

Polar Cabin is close to finishing up their own breakfast when finally, like an answer to his prayers, the head of staff walks in with Aria and Avi handcuffed to each other. There's scratches on Avi's face from the night before, and Aria looks somewhat disappointed to have been caught so quickly.

Jun snaps the tip of the spoon off. Jagged edges stare up at him as he slowly stands up.

Marcos puts up a fight when Jun lunges, probably already used to the scuffles and brawls in juvie that break out. Jun can only stab the spoon a few centimetres into Marcos's shoulder before he's thrown off by the foreigner, only to be unceremoniously tased by _two_ guides. Jun drops the mildly bloodied spoon, but still smirks up at Marcos as he watches the other boy physically hold himself back from retaliating. He keeps a hand clamped over the shoulder Jun had injured, and he doesn't move an inch as Jun is dragged out of the mess hall by the staff and guides.

Next stop: The shed.

 _Peace and quiet_. _Finally_.


	6. 04: Lakeside

**Tada! New update! It took a while to be satisfied with the chapter but I think we can cross off the obligatory beach (lake) episode from our list lmao**

 **Also just a quick warning for any who need it, there are some sensitive implications in the second POV that might not sit well with everyone. Granted, all three POVs mention sensitive stuff I guess, but you can't fault a guy for wanting to be safe, right? Otherwise, enjoy!**

* * *

 **04 - Lakeside**

The sweating is unbearable, especially with the combination of the heat. The swimsuit helps, she supposes, but it's still an ordeal just to keep her eyes open and her skin from feeling clammy. She's as close as she can get to the lake while still being in the shade of the trees surrounding her. She's unable to do much more than hang her head and fiddle with her silver bracelet.

It's been a week since her last craving. She thought going cold turkey was going to be a breeze with all these distractions and the (less than desirable) activities keeping her busy. But the craving, tingling in her feet, was hitting her in full force now that the Home had issued a free day due to the sudden spike in heat.

Minori must've forgotten how unbearable withdrawals are. All the drama kept her mind focused away from herself, and the sheer hamminess of some of the campers definitely gets her attention once they start talking. But she's on her own right now, isolated in the shade as some campers swim and wade through the water, while others chat among themselves and do their own things. To Minori's relief—and perhaps temporary dismay, given her physical state—she's completely ignored.

A beach ball flies across the lake, announced by a shout from Pierre as he begins to wade into the shallows. Minori watches it soar, watches as Eichi passes it along with a soft bounce, watches as it ricochets off the back of an otherwise unaware Akiko's head.

Her eyes start to water all of a sudden. Minori flinches, rubs furiously at them with trembling hands. She knows that dropping drugs out of nowhere would mess with her depression—it has before, probably still will until she's clean—but at the time, a camp in the middle of the mountains with no access to the outside world felt a lot more reliable than a small rehab centre with other people aching for hits. Other people probably desperate enough to try smuggle their poison in. At the time Minori hadn't considered the kinds of people she'd be around, the constant babying she'd be subject to if so much as a hint of suffering was discovered.

It's just three months, she tells herself. She repeats it over and over, like a personal mantra, as a wave of exhaustion washes over her. Just counting the time it'll take for the drugs to be out of her system, for her to get over the worst of the cravings, makes her feel a little better.

"Akiyama-san?"

Minori freezes. She hates to admit it, but it takes so damn long for her to just drop her hands from her face and turn to see who's bothering her. Normally she can throw a glance and hiss within seconds, sending off someone digging for information or attention. But right now she's so sluggish and tired, so exhausted that for a moment she actually forgets what she'd say to get rid of people.

Karenachi looks down at her with a nervous expression. He looks like he hasn't gone into the lake yet, let alone spent much time in the sun. In his hands are water bottles, both full and having an almost foggy look to them—like they've been chilled before he grabbed them. She can't figure out where he could've gotten them, especially when a cooler wasn't carried out with the guides when the announcement of a lake day was made.

Her eyes move quickly from the water bottles to the silver necklace Karenachi wears, now visible without a shirt to hide it. She reaches for her own silver bracelet, fiddles with it almost unconsciously.

"What?" she exhales, unable to muster up the venom required to scare him off. Karenachi hesitates for a second, rocking back on his heels. He holds out one of the bottles to her as he tries to lean forward again.

"The heat…" he tries. Minori looks at the bottle again. The mere mention of the weather brings a new layer of sweat to her skin. The soles of her feet tingle. "I—It's, um… Messing with your withdrawals, right?"

Minori bristles. Karenachi backtracks very quickly.

"I—I—I assume! It was like that for m—me, so I thought…"

She curls in on herself and turns her attention back to her bracelet. Karenachi wilts. He starts hesitating again, probably wondering if he should leave, and Minori takes this time to ponder her options. She doesn't _like_ someone knowing that withdrawals are getting to her, but it's someone who—if what he said is anything to go by—has been through them. Emerged from them victorious, even. She can't see scars near his veins or the specific pallor of an addict to him, and he doesn't have the bags under his eyes that she can always spot from a distance on others.

He's clean. He's not going to risk making her relapse for his own rush.

Minori sighs and holds out a hand. "I see," she mumbles. She takes a bottle from him and sits it down next to her. A moment later, Minori rethinks this decision and decides to press the cold plastic to her forehead instead.

Karenachi dithers for a few seconds. Minori squeezes her eyes shut, purses her lips, and adds, "Thanks."

He actually smiles at her. Though still a bit of a distance away from her, having backed off in her silence, he sits down within an earshot. Close enough for her to talk to him if she wants.

It's starting to get livelier, the campers in the lake doing their best to keep the beach ball in the air. Minori opens the bottle—it hurts her fingers, so sensitive and clammy—and takes a few experimental sips. The cold water feels _amazing_ to her parched throat. A wave of relief washes over her almost as fast as the sweat had earlier, and Minori lets out a satisfied hum as she caps the bottle again. She won't admit it out loud, but Karenachi really did her a solid with his gesture.

She looks to him out of the corner of her eye. He's fiddling with the silver necklace as he smiles at the sight of the campers tossing the ball. It's the most… relaxed isn't the word she wants to use. Melancholic, she wonders? Yes, she thinks it's the most melancholic she's seen him thus far. Normally he's so timid, withdrawn; even with Eichi, who's latched on to him with a friendly patience, Karenachi looks like a frightened animal.

Minori blinks at the blond and sizes him up. Tall, but timid. Lean, but stiff. Looks nothing like the addicts Minori expected to see at rehab, but acts exactly like she used to on her worse days.

"Hey," she says, calling out to him. Karenachi startles and looks to her with a frigid smile. "Why'd you come to the Home?"

His expression relaxes by just a fraction. The question has him caught off guard, and he's quick to ponder his answer as he opens his own bottle. Minori waits patiently for him, taking another sip as she does.

Finally, Karenachi sucks in a deep breath and says, "I… I want to go back to what I used to be."

Her brows rise. Part of her was hoping he'd say he's in for the same reason as her, considering he all but confirmed his own past drug addiction. Minori doesn't interrupt him, taking yet another sip as she watches him, and waits for him to continue.

Karenachi doesn't realise until he catches her watching that he's expected to elaborate. He flushes and hangs his head, almost as though trying to hide from her gaze. "I—It's dumb," he laughs weakly. "Not really exciting, compared to anyone else's."

Minori hums at him. She relents, laying back on the grass and setting the bottle against her forehead again.

"Whatever," she sighs. Karenachi is silent now. She closes her eyes and sighs again, adding, "Unless you've got anything else to help with my withdrawals, you don't have to hang around."

As though punctuating her dismissal of Karenachi, Eichi calls out the blond's name from the lake's edge. She doesn't bother sitting up, but does hear a mention of Eichi recruiting Karenachi for a game of "chicken fight" against Pierre and Shinya. Karenachi hesitates, dithering again as he looks from Minori to the lake, before finally she hears him call back that he'll be right over.

A shadow casts over her, blocking out the sun even from her spot in the shade. Minori opens one eye, spotting Karenachi above her and taking off his necklace.

"I—I'm sorry, Akiyama-san," he stammers, "but could you please hold on to this for a while? I don't want to lose it in the lake."

She closes her eye again. "How do you know I'm not swimming soon?"

He sputters and apologises with the fright of a startled deer. Minori furrows her brows and just holds out her free hand.

"I'm being facetious," she growls. "Hurry up and shove Kuroda-san off of Adkins-san or whatever."

The necklace feels heavy in her hand. Karenachi jogs in the direction of the lake not even a moment after handing his belonging to her. She hears Eichi cheer, a splash of the boys getting ready for their chicken fight, and then she opens her eyes. Minori holds the necklace over her face, letting the pendant sway above her.

A simple black cord necklace with a silver dragon pendant. Unremarkable, just like her own tarnished silver bracelet is to outsiders, but the fact that he doesn't want to lose it says more than Minori needs to know. She sucks in a deep breath, wrapping the necklace around her wrist so that it's secured by her own bracelet, and then exhales her heaviest sigh of the day.

At least she'd been distracted for a few minutes from her withdrawals.

* * *

"You're not swimming, Tadase-kun?"

He glares dryly at her through the corner of his eye. " _Honnouji-san_ ," he corrects her. "You and I are _not_ on such terms."

Aria stretches her arms above her head and says, "A shame."

He disagrees. Tadase isn't about to launch into a conversation about how much he doesn't even want to be here, be with this particular camper on a day like this. The fact that he even approached her feels bitter and abnormal—but she's the only one who can assist Tadase right now, unless someone else manages to slip out under the staffs' noses today.

As soon as he gets his information, he's fleeing back to the cabin in taking a goddamn nap.

"So," Aria purs, fixing her hair as she lays back down to sunbathe, "what can I do for you, _Honnouji-kun_?"

He clicks his tongue. He really hates her type—though he really hates a lot of types of people—and he can only hope his patience lasts through what may turn into a circular conversation. Tadase knows even from afar that a vixen like Aria has no fear when it comes to testing the limits of someone else's patience and willpower. It's all he wants to avoid her gaining from him giving her attention.

"You got out," he says, keeping his tone calm. "And you will show me how you did it."

Aria bluntly replies, "Well, I can't do that."

Tadase breathes slow and deep. "Why?"

"Because they've suspended the Bloodie who gave me the key," she says, her voice sounding as though it's the most obvious thing in the world. Tadase looks to her, brows furrowed, as he tries to consider his next question. He'd heard Akiko talk more about Aria's disappearances this morning with Pierre and Hajime, reassuring them that it happened at least half a dozen times during her stays. There's no way that Aria's run out of ways to get out, or would even stop attempting to leave, after being caught once this year.

Before he can so much as fire another question, Aria drawls, "And why do you want to leave?"

He turns away from her again. It's none of her business why he wants to leave the Home. All she needs to worry about is getting him out.

There's a soft call of, "Suzuki-san!" from a short distance away. Tadase lets his gaze wander to the source, easily spotting the red hair that the voice belongs to. Janet seems to be jogging towards someone—though it's hard to figure out who when all he can see is a hideous, pink polka-dotted swimsuit in her path. Tadase frowns from under his mask, slowly piecing together the scene before him.

" _Oi, Tadase."_

Janet and Nui stand close, almost as though sharing a secret between them. Nui avoids all eye contact with the redhead, looking more embarrassed and nervous than anything else. Janet visibly clears her throat and bows her head.

" _Look at me when I talk to you, cousin."_

Nui throws her hands up placatingly, shaking her head and beginning to stammer out a response that Tadase can hear pieces of. Mentions of a first time, of being overwhelmed. He folds his arms over his knees and digs his nails into his skin.

" _C'mon, Little Bunny. You know what'll happen to your mom if you don't."_

Hope blossoms on Janet's face. She beams—a half-truth, he thinks bitterly; he's seen people wear masks like her own—and asks something else. Nui's hands drop to her sides, wrapping around her waist, and she's back to looking embarrassed. It's the chub that the swimsuit reveals, Tadase realises. A source of self-consciousness that he knows too well.

" _ **Strip."**_

Somehow he misses the end of the conversation. The next thing he knows, Janet it approaching them and calling out for Aria, her chipper demeanour gone and a more serious expression taking over. Tadase tenses. She'll try to send him off, but he's not going anywhere until he gets Aria to let him out.

Janet comes to a halt in front of them, casting a quick glance down at Tadase. He glowers up at her in return, his nails still deep in his arms. Begone, he thinks. Don't interfere.

Aria sits up and winks at Janet. "What a cute display," she purrs. Janet coughs, forcing a laugh. "Let me guess—you were her first kiss?"

Tadase's nails break the skin. He can feel the smallest amount of blood dripping down one of his fingers, easy enough to hide in the grass beneath him. Everywhere he goes, people are touching each other, draped over each other, _intimate with each other_ —there's no space, no room to breathe and hide and remain clean.

Janet purses her lips. "That's not my news to share. I'm here about something else, Yuwaku-san."

"Yuwaku and I were in the middle of a conversation," Tadase bites out. Janet looks back down to him again, impassive. "Wait your turn."

"What I need to speak to her about is urgent," Janet fires back. Tadase's glare turns venomous. How _dare_ she assume her business is more important than his own?

The two stare at each other, a test of willpower and dedication to their businesses. Janet is inhumanly still throughout the whole encounter, almost as though trained to become a statue on command, while Tadase just slowly, slowly increases the venom in his posture. Aria looks between the two, only to clap her hands once and let out a thoughtful sound.

"Aha! You both want to leave, right?"

The two teens' expressions mirror each other. They glance at Aria, then back to the other, with equal amounts of shock and pause between them. Tadase is lost for words for a moment.

"It'd be easier with three people, I think," Aria goes on. She smiles contemplatively, fiddling with her hair as she thinks on whatever plan is hatching in her mind. "It won't be easy—ah, but you have me holding your hands. Easy would be an understatement."

Janet turns on Tadase immediately. "Where?" she demands.

Tadase is taken aback by the question. He sizes Janet up for a moment, takes in what he knows just from visual clues; maybe she'll be useful, maybe the fact that she held off the kid who went berserk last night will be a testament to her reliability.

He rises to his feet and brushes grass from his swimming trunks. Tadase looks down at her and says, "Yokohama."

"How far is that from Tokyo?"

Aria pipes up in a bored voice, "Forty minutes from central Tokyo, give or take."

Janet weighs the response. She looks to the ground, eyes becoming as dead as they'd been during the bus ride, before her mask slips back on and she grins up at Tadase.

"Tokyo alone," Aria goes on, "is still a good sixteen hours from where we are."

"Doesn't matter," Janet says. Tadase raises his brows at her. If she's useful along with that tenacity, then maybe this will go easier than he anticipated. Janet crosses her arms in front of her chest, striking a confident pose, but the effect is lost somewhat thanks to the hideous swimsuit the Home donated to her. "Honnouji-san, instead of sabotaging each other and royally screwing up what we've set out to do, let's strike a truce. I will do _anything_ to get to Tokyo, and if you're along for the ride I can guarantee you'll make it to the last stretch to Yokohama."

He looks down at Aria then, narrowing his eyes. The vixen smirks and lays back down to sunbathe.

"I'll talk with the two of you at dinner. Can't plan a prison break on an empty stomach, after all."

* * *

Shinya had been right—almost no one has been totally by themselves today thanks to the addition of lakeside fun. It brings a grin to Pierre's face, seeing how much things have calmed down since this morning. With the exception of Jun, still confined to the shed as punishment, everyone is gathered by the lake and doing what they think is most suitable to pass the time.

Hell, even Avi is calmer compared to yesterday. Once Pierre (spectacularly) lost to Karenachi and Eichi during their chicken fight, he'd settled with wading around and keeping an eye on everyone while he had his fun. He's made the rounds by now, crossing off his guidely duties from his conscience, and all that's left is to keep an eye on the first established fighter.

Not that it's a problem, he finds as he sticks his ankles back in the water. To his left is Marcos, shoulder bandaged up and apparently stitched beneath the gauze; to his right, just a short distance away from the lake's edge and with his hood up, Avi quietly plays with the mud. It's peaceful, exactly the kind of thing Pierre had hoped for after that disastrous first day and a half.

Pierre looks Avi up and down and calls out, "Hey, bud. You don't wanna soak your feet?"

Avi shakes his head vehemently and shapes some of the mud in his hands. Well, whatever floats his boat.

At least with that base covered, Pierre can turn his attention to Marcos and see if he's alright. Guy's been tight-lipped since this morning, and he's been particularly wary of everyone except for Pierre now that they're at the lake. _Maybe_ Pierre took a peek at his file before they'd come out to the lake, too, and _maybe_ he wants to get down to the bottom of it. Is he meddling? Sure. But meddling is part of the job description, and no one can blame him for wanting to check in on one of the juvie kids' wellbeing. Some of the reasons his cabin have been sent to the Home for… Well, it's hard to put how he feels into words. Some of the campers remind him of someone important, someone close to his heart—and imagining him here instead of Pierre, or perhaps anyone else, brings a tinge of _something_ to his heart.

Something grim.

He turns to Marcos with a lazy grin, forcing the thought from his mind. It's better not to dwell on it, to focus on going back to his old self and helping the others around him. He has three months to do this, to face his own demons, and there's no rush to get it over with. The Home is still fun even with responsibilities.

"How's the shoulder?" Pierre asks the Spaniard. Marcos seems to reach for the shoulder in question almost out of habit, but stops himself with a wince as what must be the weaning anesthetic allows pain to linger.

Marcos lets out a harsh breath through his nose and scans the edge of the lake. Even with Jun still being in the shed and no one else making moves to raise their hands against anyone else, Marcos is on edge and wary of everyone who isn't a guide. Or Avi, Pierre thinks with a hint of surprise, though that could be because Marcos can just shove him in the water if something happens—something Marcos has probably figured out that Avi doesn't want to happen.

"They had to pull out a shard," Marcos grunts. Pierre blubbers and stares at Marcos's shoulder.

"Holy _shit_ , he drove it in deep." _Don't make a dick joke out of that._ _Keep it serious._ "Does it hurt to move it?"

Marcos hums. "I'll get used to it."

Yeah, Pierre is pretty sure he'll take that stance for any other kind of misgiving that pops up here. Considering what he knows about Marcos's case, though, that might not be the best way to go. Maybe it's his way of holding back his anger, but Pierre knows better than anyone that that shit bubbles to the surface real quick under pressure.

He clears his throat and shrugs. "Well, if you need anything for it, let me know. Never been stabbed in the shoulder before but it's gotta be a bitch to deal with without anything."

Plus, Hajime will probably get in trouble if a case of manslaughter happens from one of her campers. Pierre really doesn't want to leave that burden to just her, not when they're both technically responsible for the whole cabin. Despite her laidback demeanour so similar to his own, it's easy for Pierre to spot the unease that comes with her hefty task. High school doesn't really prepare anyone for this kind of stuff. Not that Pierre's been taught by the institution how to do taxes, either, but he digresses.

Marcos lets out a huff of a laugh. Pierre can see the ghost of a smile on his face, but it's gone as fast as it forms. "Yeah," Marcos agrees. Pierre considers that a win, even if it's just the most entry-level thing he can do.

"So, see anyone you wanna hang out with during your stay?" Pierre goes on. Marcos's expression seems to darken at the question.

His gaze follows each of the campers, that wariness back again as he seems to pause on each of the Japanese teens. Pierre can feel the tension radiating from Marcos, and it's only now he realises he's put his foot in his mouth. Marcos has had nothing but bad experiences since coming to Japan—like hell he's going to warm up to the majority of the campers, especially after this morning.

It's not like some would want to stick around near Marcos, either, if they knew what had happened to land him in juvie. Pierre won't say the kid that harassed Marcos was a complete victim—hell, Pierre's been that asshole before, just like Marcos's tormentors—but he can't quite bring himself to sympathise with Marcos's opinion and reasonings, either. Maybe he's just experienced it too differently, being on the other side of that kind of conflict.

Pierre coughs and waves a hand.

"Actually," he laughs, hoping this is enough to retract his question, "it's only the first week. Let's worry about that later."

Movement comes from a little away, two forms wading through the water towards Marcos and Pierre at a leisurely pace. Pierre glances over, catching sight of Hajime and Shinya talking about something, before his gaze it met by his partner in cabin guiding herself. Hajime starts doing the water-equivalent of jogging, flinging her legs out and jumping closer and closer to the duo as water splashes about around her.

Pierre snorts a little. It's like a combination of a duck and those lizards that run across lakes. Goddamn majestic.

"Kuroda-kun and I are gonna get some lunch," Hajime says as she gets closer. Pierre's surprised to see the water reaches her thighs once she's right in front of them. He could've sworn the depth was greater—ah, but he is almost six feet tall. It's probably a good thing Tadase is the farthest from the water than anyone else, given how petite he is. "Are you okay keeping an eye on everyone while we do?"

Pierre shrugs. "More like, are you two gonna be fine making all that food for sixteen people?"

Marcos remains silent as the conversation goes on. The most Pierre notices him do is watch Shinya mimic Hajime's entrance to catch up sooner.

"Should be fine," Hajime says, shrugging back in a, _It's whatever_ , fashion. "We're gonna ask around and see if anyone wants to help. Lunch'll just be simple."

Pierre nods. "Bitchin'. What's on the menu?"

"Nuggies."

Pierre nods sagely. "Tenders of online legend."

Shinya almost jumps in front of her and corrects her statement: "Sandwiches. We're making sandwiches."

Both Hajime and Pierre hang their heads in mock disappointment.

"It might be best to ask anyone not swimming," Shinya goes on, his attention back to Hajime. "I noticed a few people looking bored."

Hajime nods in agreement. Before they can so much as move, Marcos surprises Pierre by piping up, "I'll help."

It's a complete 180 from what Pierre anticipated after bringing up spending time with anyone for the three months. Maybe Marcos took the question to heart and pondered trying? Or maybe he just wants to make some sandwiches, as one does? Pierre won't push his luck by asking why.

"Is your arm alright?" Hajime asks, more concerned than surprised. Marcos glances at his shoulder and nods.

"It's just sandwiches."

Hajime gives him a half-smile and motions for him to follow the duo as they climb out of the lake. Pierre just watches, stunned, as Marcos follows them obediently around the area for anyone else interested in helping. He's… not sure what to make of this. Progress? He's gonna call it that, but Pierre isn't any less confused by the uncharacteristic behaviour.

He turns to Avi, starting, "Hey, bud—"

And then he stops. Pierre just stares, wide-eyed, at the giant mud blob Avi seems to have built while his attention was on Marcos. It's at least the size of Pierre's head, and Avi keeps adding more mud to it.

Avi looks over at him expectantly, hands frozen midway with large amounts of mud in them.

"When the fuck did you start making that?" Pierre deadpans.

The bulky boy just shrugs and gracelessly slaps the mud on the top of the blob.


	7. 05: Calm Before the Storm

**Jajan! An update! A bit short but considering we're getting close to what we all came here for, I like to think it makes for a nice end to establishing the characters. Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

 **05 - Calm Before the Storm**

No nuggets? For real? Hajime thought they were kidding, but now she's just depressed.

The ingredients for the sandwiches are all out in front of them, each in their little baggies and sealed shut. Hajime reads each label, pursing her lips, as Shinya sets to work organising their work station. One by one the volunteering campers are sorted into tasks, until finally Shinya turns back to Hajime and gives her a thumbs-up.

The bread is set in front of Marcos, who deftly butters each slice. It's a relief they found something for him to do that won't hurt his shoulder, but Hajime has to wonder if the wounds will just get worse from here on out. Jun's file all but screams how antisocial he is, and she feels in her gut that he's going to lash out again just to get back in the shed.

Marcos passes the slices two at a time to Avi, less enthusiastic to be here compared to Spanish boy who'd dragged him along. His hands are clean of mud, his face in such a deep scowl aimed at the bread; at the very least he puts ham on some of the bread, occasionally switching it out for other meats in the bags.

From Avi the bread moves to Akiko. Her job is a simple application of condiments, though not every sandwich gets some. On occasion they remain plain, ready for consumption to anyone who likes them that way. Akiko had volunteered herself at least, done for the day with the lakeside fun.

Then they come to Hajime herself, who cuts up any vegetables to add in. Can't go wrong with lettuce on a sandwich, right? And if someone prefers tomato or cucumber, more power to them. It at least covers their quota for distribution, she thinks, and the staff can't get upset for not using every healthy option available. They can just get upset over someone not eating it.

And finally they reach Shinya, who cuts them diagonally and stacks them neatly on a big plate. He looks almost proud of his work as the tower—dome?—of sandwiches grows. He hums to himself and patiently waits for Hajime to finish with each sandwich, and every time he receives one he thanks her casually.

They're done within half an hour at that rate. Two platters of sandwiches sit on the table in the middle of the dining room, five teens staring down at them with varying expressions. They're silent, waiting to see who takes the first sandwich, and Hajime takes full advantage of this.

"Still wanted nuggets," she says around a ham sandwich. Shinya chuckles softly and waits for everyone else to take a piece before snatching one for himself.

"I'll let the staff know we should get nuggets," he tells her. Hajime stuffs the sandwich in her mouth and claps her hands together, bowing to Shinya with an exaggerated flair in response.

They all take their own spots in the dining room as they wait for the campers to return. Shinya thinks it will be just fifteen minutes of waiting, maybe even twenty, which gives everyone enough time to chow down and avoid the lunch rush. Even with two plates, sixteen people gathered around one table will be hellish to push through.

Akiko sits with Avi and makes small talk with him, actually getting responses—albeit surprised ones—from the larger boy. He nods along with her, seeming almost excited about what they're talking about, before finally Hajime watches him rummage through one of his pockets and pull out a small notebook. No wonder he didn't want to swim, she thinks.

Marcos sits on his own, half-resting in between bites of his sandwich. Every so often he shifts his shoulder, the painkillers more obviously wearing off, but not once does he speak up about it. Marcos just takes this moment of peace as it comes.

With Hajime is Shinya, to no one's surprise, who inches closer to her as she continues to watch Avi and Akiko converse. He's already on his second sandwich, eating faster than everyone else despite being the last to get one. Shinya plops down on a chair next to her, following her gaze as he lets out a long hum.

"Thoughts?" he asks her.

Hajime gives him a raised brow in response. Shinya elaborates, "On the Home so far."

She shrugs. "Aside from the taser I have to carry and someone getting stabbed with a spoon… Feels sort of like a trip with my class, I guess."

Shinya looks pleased with her answer. "Alright," he says. "Now your thoughts on Avi-kun."

Before she can stop herself, she blurts out the first question she'd asked herself upon seeing his file: "Why isn't he a guide?"

Shinya pauses, his sandwich halfway to his mouth. He blinks at her and waits for her to continue.

"His files says he volunteered to come here," Hajime ponders, "but instead the one kid out of the four of us with a court order to be here was chosen instead. Why?"

It's boggled her, ever since the first day she looked over everyone's information. Hajime had gone into that study session hoping to get a feel for how her squad could recover from their issues, but instead she'd come out wondering just why her assault charges had been overlooked when a volunteer was available.

The boy next to her slowly starts to move again. Hajime removes her gaze from Akiko and Avi, back to Shinya as he leans forward and rests his chin on his hand. There's a sly smile on his face, his eyes narrowing at Hajime as he takes a bite from his sandwich.

"Because," he tells her, "the staff knows better."

Hajime blinks, lost for words. What the hell does that mean? Shinya finishes his sandwich and tucks his now free hand under his chin with the other, his looking turning from sly to almost mischievous.

"There's a lot more than meets the eye with Avi-kun, Mizushima-san," he goes on. Hajime slowly continues eating her sandwich, but otherwise listens intently. "For example…"

Shinya's hand emerges from under his chin again, and he makes an O shape with his thumb and forefinger before flicking his wrist.

"Like me, he comes from big money. Big enough to make it to _Time_ 's 'Most Influential People' list."

She's more shocked about the fact that _Shinya_ is a rich boy. He's so dopey half the time that it's hard to accept it as truth. But he's not being dopey right now, is he?

"And that means…?"

Shinya chuckles, this time much more childishly. "You know, Mizushima-san," he says. "You're here because of the power money has."

Ah… As much as that stings to hear, to be reminded of the injustice that led to her arrest and court order, it falls into place so perfectly at his statement. Avi could be listed as a volunteer all thanks to money erasing the real reason. Someone regarded as influential would have the power to do that—God, she knows that all too well, she thinks bitterly—and when someone with that power has a kid who breaks the rules… Well, Hajime knows the rest.

She looks back to Avi then. He's showing Akiko something in his notebook, pointing to a specific sketch he's done on one of the pages. Hajime's shoulders sag at the sight, at the genuine shine of excitement in his eyes as Akiko comments on his work.

Hard to believe what Shinya implies is the case. Not when he's got amnesia, like his file proves with its accompanying medical evaluation. If he's docile (for the most part) without his memories, then wouldn't it be better that he not undergo a recovery program like this? Especially if he truly had been admitted last year for something he'd done?

When Hajime looks back at Shinya, she catches _something_ in his gaze. A look she knows, but can't place; but her gut kicks into gear at the sight of it. When Shinya blinks, tilting his head innocently at her, it vanishes like magic.

"And you, Kuroda-san?"

"Hm?" Shinya blinks again. She watches as his sly smile morphs into something more innocent, his eyes widening again.

"What does that say about your file, being rich?"

Shinya actually lets out a loud, gut wrenching laugh at her response. He's tearing up as the other three look over in alarm, his laughs persisting until after Hajime takes another sandwich. He wipes at one of his eyes, breathless, while Hajime waits for him to finish with a dry expression.

Finally, Shinya wheezes, "I did my time, don't worry. My old file is even in the staff's cabinet, if you want proof."

Hajime keeps silent.

"I can't blame you for that, though," he goes on, barely catching his breath. He lets out one last wheeze before sucking in a deep, stabilizing breath. "I got kinda intense with that topic, huh?"

"A tad," Hajime tells him.

"Sorry, sorry! You could say I'm just…" He pauses, looking for the right words as he glances back at Avi. The boy in question is back to his conversation with Akiko, now showing her what looks to be a collection of dots. "Waiting for the other shoe to drop when it comes to him."

Waiting for him to remember, she translates. Waiting for him to either go back to his old self or learn from his past. When Shinya puts it like that… Well, she can't blame him.

Time will only tell what happens with the potentially ticking time bomb in front of them.

* * *

"Hey, Mitsui, can you get hold of anyone?"

"Haven't heard anything since we sent Yoshikage home. Why?"

Sukawa leans against the doorframe and frowns. "I haven't heard anything either. Weren't we supposed to get an update on a replacement today?"

That makes Mitsui pause. The younger man glances at Sukawa before reaching for his radio's headset. He pulls his mic close and resumes reading the reports of the past week. "I'll, ah," he says slowly, all too aware of the silence from his superiors now, "I'll keep an ear open just in case."

"Good," Sukawa says. He stands upright again and gives Mitsui a half-hearted wave. "I'm gonna check in with the guides. Two of them came back to use the kitchen."

"I'll keep you posted," is the wary response he gets.

* * *

Soft fingers grab at her sides, startling her out of her daydreaming. Nui lets out a yelp and tries to duck away, but only succeeds in backing into the person behind her and knocking them both in the water.

When she surfaces again, now facing the other teen, she feels almost ashamed. To think she'd knocked over Yuna in her panic—surely there's a rule against coming into contact with guides in any harmful way. Nui fixes her glasses (thank goodness they stayed on her face through that) as Yuna pushes her hair out of her face.

"My bad, my bad," Yuna laughs. She looks more like she's been caught doing something immature, laughing off the reaction as justified. "Didn't mean to scare you like that, Suzuki-san!"

Nui hangs her head despite the apology. It feels almost like habit now, knocking people over into dangerous situations. What if Yuna couldn't swim? What if she got stuck on some weeds or something? Nui fiddles with her hair as the thoughts race around in her head. Yuna shifts again, still trying to reassure her.

When she looks up from the water, she sees chestnut hair and a bloodied face scowling up at her. _Horibe_.

Nui stumbles back, submerging herself once again—but this time she hesitates to surface. Her hands reach for her face, knocking her glasses off as she squeezes her eyes shut. She barely took in enough air to comfortably hide for more than a few seconds, but Nui can't even bring herself to think of that right now.

 _I'm sorry_ , she chant. _I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry_.

 _Hate you_ , is the disembodied reply that reverberates through the water.

 _I'm_ —

A pair of hands pull her to the surface, soft as the ones that had pinched her earlier. Nui keeps her eyes squeezed shut. She doesn't want to see Horibe. She won't let them make her. Nui surfaces and gulps down a deep breath, prepared to splutter out a tangent about how sorry she is.

But Yuna's voice reaches her ears, those soft hands petting her head so kindly. So differently to how Horibe's hands had bruised and scratched at her.

"It's okay," Yuna soothes her, voice lowered to a whisper. Nui trembles, already seeing stars behind her eyelids. Her face hurts so much but she can't take her hands away yet. She doesn't know if it's safe. "It's okay."

And then those soft hands embrace her, pulling her down until her face is tucked into Yuna's shoulder.

"Poor Nui-chan," she goes on, voice still so smooth and soothing. One of her hands pets her head again. "Girls like me made you this way, didn't they?"

Nui sucks in a deep breath and tries to calm herself. It's not Horibe. It's just Yuna. Horibe wouldn't comfort her like this.

"You don't need to be sorry," Yuna tells her. "I startled you first. I'm sorry."

Nui shakes harder. _Horibe would never say that. Horibe was never sorry_.

As though hammering the final nail in the coffin, Yuna rests her head against Nui's and tells her, "You're in the right."

It takes her a while to disentangle herself from Yuna, but when she does it feels as though Horibe's been shut away. Like Yuna's words locked the door she hides behind when Nui thinks she's gone. She's scared—so scared—but despite it all, she opens her eyes to see a blurred Yuna.

Not Horibe. Not shapes resembling Horibe. Shapes that resemble Yuna.

The smaller girl grasps her hands like one would a friend's. Nui tries to squint, to get a better look at her expression. It's hard to make out much more than her smile.

"You've been having nightmares, haven't you?" Yuna asks. Nui feels her face heat up at the question. She'd been hoping everyone else were heavy sleepers, considering none of them were up and out of bed whenever she startled herself awake; but now she has to wonder if Haku and Janet have been woken by them too. Yuna just grips her hands tighter with a reassuring squeeze. "It's okay. You went through a terrible trauma, Nui-chan. You're allowed to struggle. You're allowed to be sad and have nightmares and feel nervous. Do you know why?"

Nui chews her lip. She really wishes she had her glasses, if only so she can properly meet Yuna's gaze. "W—Why?"

Yuna pulls her back into another hug, this one proper with Yuna able to wrap both arms around her. Nui awkwardly returns it, unsure of what to do with her hands. Hugs aren't a thing she gets often.

"Because Yuna is here," is the soft response in her ear, "and ready to ease Nui-chan's heart, no matter what."

A wave of _something_ washes over her. It's like a cocktail of emotions trying to drown her, to force her instincts into overdrive. Happy? Doubtful? Cautious? She can't figure out what her emotions are trying to tell her, how she should even feel at this declaration. All this reassurance and support of her—first from Janet and now from Yuna… She's so lost in this unfamiliar feeling, not even sure what to call it. Not even sure if it's a good feeling.

But she knows one thing above all else: Yuna is telling the truth when she says she'll help. Nui's never met someone so emotive, so reliable at all hours and honest about themselves. She's never met someone who doesn't hold back or omits things. It's been almost a week, but not once has Yuna acted in a way that would make Nui wary all over again.

So she nods and does her best to hug Yuna back. "Thank you," she finally says.

Yuna gives her one last squeeze before pulling away, that smile still there despite Nui's blurred vision. "With that out of the way, I should probably grab your glasses," Yuna laughs. "I really need to be more careful, huh? Sorry about that, Suzuki-san."

She dives under without another word. Nui stares at the water, her mouth open and her voice dying in her throat. Why her last name? Nui is sure she heard Yuna call her by her first name, so close to her ear that it drowned out any other sounds. She furrows her brows. It can't have been a hallucination, right?

But then, she _had_ heard Horibe so clearly under the water.

Nui shakes her head and smacks her cheeks with her hands. She's overthinking, making herself worry again so soon after Yuna calmed her down. She'll ask about it later, when the fun is over and the time for sleep is closer. Dwelling on it now would just put Yuna's effort to waste. Sure, she said it's okay to feel bad and worry, but it would just hit Nui with twice as much force if she knows she's undoing someone else's hard work to make sure she's happy.

She takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out. It's okay, she tells herself, because Yuna's here. And Yuna wants to help.

The girl in question surfaces at last, and finally Nui can see her reassuring smile with clear eyes.

* * *

"I'm heading out."

"Wh—" Sukawa jumps out of his chair at the declaration. Mitsui is already grabbing the keys for one of the cars in the camp. "The fuck do you mean, you're heading out?"

Mitsui throws his hands up with the frustration of a man on a time limit. "Look, I can't get hold of any of the company's sites except for Sapporo," he all but yells at his senior, "and _they're_ saying that something's making its way through Japan right now. I'm heading out to make sure we're not being bullshitted again."

The older man follows him out of their office. Already the campers are starting to come back from the lake, wrapped in towels and ready for their late lunch. No one seems to take notice of the two men sprinting across the grounds.

"Who cares if we're being bullshited?" Sukawa demands. Mitsui unlocks the car and fumbles for the remote to the front gate. "It's not like we're short on supplies or struggling with staff."

"Because I didn't accept the position on-site just to be put through this shit. We have to spend _three months_ with kids who could riot any minute. If the company thinks they can just have some fun while _we_ work our asses off, I'm throwing my resignation letter at the nearest manager's face."

The engine roars to life. The kids finally pause, taking notice of the argument happening by the gate.

"I'm taking a walkie," Mitsui says, "and I'm going to the nearest town to verify this excuse. I'll be back before tomorrow night."

Sukawa just watches, gobsmacked, as his junior opens the gate and slams his foot on the gas. The car screeches off down the road, kicking up a heavy cloud of dust in its wake. Almost as soon as Mitsui had opened it, the gate shutters closed and locks itself.

 _Fuck_ , is all that Sukawa can muster in his head.


	8. 06: The Seventh Circle

**The rumour come out: Does Ren Nerfherder is classical literature?**

 **Yeah no I couldn't resist the old Bruno Mars meme. But yeah this chapter title is a reference to the Divine Comedy because I'm unoriginal and the seventh circle of hell oddly lines up with this chapter. Take that as ye will.**

* * *

 **06 - The Seventh Circle**

It's the night Mitsui left to investigate that Sukawa gets the message: " _This is Sapporo. Home staff, please come in._ "

Sukawa responds immediately. He doesn't like how weary the woman on the other end sounds. "This is Sukawa from the camp," he says, voice barely above a whisper.

" _Sukawa… I'm sorry, but no one is coming to the campsite to replace Yoshikage._ "

"W—What?"

She coughs. It's a loud rattle against his ears, throaty and painful. " _I should rephrase. Sukawa, there's no one left to come. I'm all that's left of Sapporo site._ "

The words slowly sink in as the seconds tick by. Sukawa stares down at the desk, unable to so much as move. He can't even blink. What does she mean, no one left? No one from the whole company? No one from just Sapporo? Where'd they all go?

" _Sukawa?_ "

He fumbles with the mic. "I'm here!"

" _I don't have a lot of time. It's… I'm scared._ " She takes a deep breath, almost as though steeling herself. " _Sukawa, you can't open the gates or let anyone out no matter what. The Home is the safest place for all of you right now._ "

"What do you—"

" _It's just like in those fucking movies_ ," she laughs. Before she can go on, another earth-shattering cough breaks through their conversation. Midway through it begins to morph into groans, breathless and weak.

Before she can recover and keep talking, one of the guides bursts into the room with a panicked expression on his face. He's in is pyjamas, probably ready to hit the hay in is cabin, but the difficulty he has catching his breath is enough to give Sukawa pause. He pulls off his headphones and rises in his chair, abandoning the poor woman for a more pressing matter.

"Mi—" Pierre coughs into his fist and sucks in a deep breath. He must've bolted from across the camp just to get to the staff cabin. "Mitsui-san is back! He looks bad!"

Sukawa runs for the gate without Pierre, at least letting the foreign boy catch his breath. Finding Mitsui—or rather, the crowd of campers worrying over his state—is easy enough even with the low lighting the night provides. The campgrounds don't have anything to light the whole area up, but everyone has at least one or two flashlights stored in all the cabins. Sukawa can see a few lights aimed at the ground around them, but one in particular is on a form crouched against Mitsui's car. He pushes past a few of the campers keeping their distance, only to come to a full halt as the sound of the gate closing nearby fills the stunned silence.

There's blood all over Mitsui. All over the front of his car. Inside his car. A few of the campers are hardly fazed by it—Janet and Jun and Aria stand the closest, investigating in their own ways. Yuna hurriedly calls for medical supplies, and the campers Sukawa _knows_ carry around bandages and the like sprint off to their cabins.

"What the fuck happened?" Sukawa demands, louder than he means to. Mitsui curls in on himself, cradling his arm against his chest. Blood spurts out of what appears to be a crater in his skin.

From behind him, Haku responds, "A Dark Beast got him!"

"Someone who isn't crazy," Sukawa snaps, "tell me what's going on!"

A pained screech comes from Mitsui. Yuna, who had been closest to him and trying to look at his wound, jumps back with a start. Her hand splashes into a puddle of blood in front of the man. Sukawa lets out a frustrated growl and pushes through the rest of the crowd. He yanks Mitsui—who once again screeches at the top of his voice—to his feet and drags him in the direction of the nearest cabin. The sooner they can clean his wound and get answers, the sooner Sukawa can find out what the _hell_ the woman on the radio was talking about.

The mess hall is the last place he wants to take a bloodied, perhaps even dying man to, but he'll be damned if the tables they dine on every day aren't the perfect height and length for Mitsui to be laid upon. Mitsui is weeping as he's held down by Sukawa, and other campers join him at his command.

Yuna is at his injured arm, tearing at the fabric of his sleeve with sweat beading on her forehead. Medical supplies are brought in by the campers one by one, until finally all eighteen residents of the Home are in the mess hall and—in some attempts at providing space—the kitchen. The other guides do their best to keep the peace, but it's hard to manage when Mitsui becomes more and more panicked as they try to clean his wound.

And then what can only be called a violent seizure begins. Now the campers around Mitsui have to hold him down to keep from jerking off of the table. Sukawa moves for his head and tries to hold it steady, but even that is a challenge as Mitsui's eyes, glazed over and red from his crying, stare up at him helplessly.

There's so much blood, Sukawa thinks to himself as the seizure lasts for an eternity. From his nose, from his mouth, from his wound. He can't even figure out how Mitsui is still alive when he factors in the blood outside and in his car. Not unless he considers it belonging to someone else.

Finally the man stills. His screaming stops, as does his breathing. He's limp in the group's hands, unresponsive as one by one they slowly let him go.

Sukawa is still holding his junior's head in place. "Fuck," is all he can muster, barely even above a whisper.

"S—Sukawa-san," Hajime calls out to him from Mitsui's feet. Sukawa looks up at her. She's as pale he must be, perhaps even as nauseous as he feels. "Is he…"

"I don't…" Sukawa's hands shake as he slowly eases his grip on the younger man's head. "I don't know."

"Is he breathing?" Shinya tries. He's closer to the kitchen, keeping the campers inside away from any potential splash zone. Sukawa glances down at his feet—at the blood from Mitsui that had dripped down from the table. They'll need to clean this up as soon as possible. But…

Sukawa's lip trembles. He looks back over at Hajime, closest to the door and most reliable of those in its path. "Mizushima, go to my cabin. Use… Use the radio and—" Sukawa cuts himself off. He's lost for words, cursing himself over how incompetent he feels over this incident. He's the senior-most staff member at the Home, for crying out loud! "Woman in Sapporo. Tell her— Ask for everything."

Hajime hesitates. She glances down at Mitsui's corpse, a deer-in-the-headlights expression on her face.

"Now, Mizushima!" Sukawa yells.

She's out the door in seconds. The campers in remaining in the mess hall all seem to be holding their breaths as the silence drags on. He can't blame them. A man has just died so violently in front of them, so vocally.

Sukawa can't even believe it.

"Sukawa-san!" Shinya suddenly yells. There's renewed panic in his voice, and Sukawa can't even figure out why until a powerful grip takes his arms. He looks down, sees the dead gaze and blank expression of Mitsui beneath him.

And then Mitsui is pulled closer—no, _Sukawa_ is pulled down to Mitsui, the grip almost machine-like and unrelenting. Mitsui, the man who had just died in front of him, seems to unhinge his jaw and let out a low groan. It's a groan that sounds so similar to the woman on the radio.

All he can hear is the campers screaming for him. All he can feel is the pain of Mitsui's teeth tearing his nose from his face. All he can see is blood.

* * *

Hajime's bare feet pound against the ground. She refuses to look in the direction of the car, of the horror show left behind. She just keeps running, keeps her eyes on the cabin the staff sleep in, and repeats Sapporo over and over in her head. She has to get in contact with the woman Sukawa mentioned as soon as possible. Maybe they can get help, maybe even get some answers.

Screams filter out through the walls of the mess hall, giving Hajime pause. She skids to a stop— _her feet burn as the ground scrapes against them_ —and turns back to stare at the only illuminated building behind her. She can't see anything through the windows, can't hear anything other than people shouting and the telltale signs of crying. Hajime rocks forward on her feet. Everything in her is demanding she turn back and make sure they're all okay, especially the campers on the more timid end of the scale. But Sukawa gave her an order, and Hajime will be damned if she doesn't at least let one of the company's sites know what's happened.

"Damn it," she spits, fists clenched at her sides. She turns back for the staff cabin and resumes running. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

The door swings open with one yank, and Hajime doesn't have the patience to cringe at how loudly it slams against the outside wall. She leaves it rocking until it settles in an ajar position, ignored by Hajime as she stumbles around the cabin in search of a phone or radio.

"Sapporo," she repeats to herself. She finds a notepad and a pen in the first room she checks. They come with her when she leaves for the next one. "Sapporo—ask for everything in Sapporo— _fuckin_ '—" She kicks down another door that reveals just three beds and a shared closet. "Where's the _phone_!?"

Third time's the charm, it seems. She shoves aside the shovel and terracotta pots that partially obscure the door, half-unpacked and waiting to be stored properly in the shed. Would it kill the staff to put some fucking _thought_ into this shithole?

Hajime crashes into the chair in the tiny room, headphones yanked off of the desk in an instant. The radio is still on, still connected to the last line that Sukawa used, and the mic is at her lips without a second to waste.

"Hello?" Hajime calls, breathless. One side of the headphones is pressed to her ear. There's only static on the other end. "Hello? Sapporo?"

Static.

"Sapporo! Please, we need help! Mitsui-san…"

Static.

"Please… A man has just died… We need help..."

 _Static_.

"Anyone—!"

A breathy groan in the doorway forces her attention away from the radio. Hajime jumps from the chair, backing into the wall beside the desk, as she searches for the owner of the voice. Her eyes land on the doorway, on the figure in rags that he doesn't recognise. A woman, she thinks as the figure enters with an almost shambling gait.

Hajime can't calm her heart. She looks the woman up and down, comparisons to Mitsui— _Mitsui's corpse_ jumping to the forefront of her mind. More than that, though, the sight brings to mind something else entirely. Something fictional.

The corpse-like woman has her arms outstretched, the bone of one forearm exposed and dripping almost tar-like blood on the floor beneath them. Hajime's eyes are blown wide as she stumbles further back, the chair the only thing between her and the woman.

"This is a joke," Hajime whispers, voice wavering. Like part of her _knows_ how far from the truth the statement is. "This is… a sick joke."

The woman's head inclines towards Hajime. Shambling pace abandoned, she almost lunges across the cramped room for Hajime as a _famished_ groan escapes her. Hajime panics—curses louder than she means to—and drops to the floor as the woman crashes into the chair. It tumbles over, taking the woman with it, as Hajime crawls under the table and hurries for the door.

She gets one hand out of the doorway when something grasps her ankle like a metal clamp. Hajime yelps as she's yanked back, but catches herself on the door frame as the wood floor meets her forehead. She screams as the grip only tightens, almost crushing her ankle like a twig.

"Get off!" Hajime screams, struggling to pull herself back up to the door with one hand. "Let me _go_!"

The memory, almost triggered by her screech, assaults her all at once. The smell of the freshly mowed grass. The softball team going through their routine. The gaze of her sister, usually trained on her throughout training, missing.

Her precious little sister crying.

The upperclassman on top of her.

Pale, exposed skin blossoming red as his hands force her down.

" _L_ — _Let me g_ — _go_ …. _"_

A switch is flipped in her head. Hajime screams—not from fear, but now from rage. All she can see is red, blinded by her anger and becoming the same force of nature that put her in this damned place to begin with, away from Akane. Akane, who needs her so much more than any of the delinquents and criminals here do.

She slams her foot against her ankle. She doesn't feel the pain that comes with the nails dragging along her skin, nor the audible crack that comes from the joint being ripped from the bloodied hand. Hajime drags herself along the floor in one powerful tug against the frame, sliding through the small bloody footprints the woman had left. Hajime is on her hands and knees in an instant. The woman is almost hot at her heels, already back on her feet despite how rigidly she moves.

Hajime lunges for the shovel and terracotta pots she'd shoved aside early. Her fingers curl around the shovel's handle just as the woman stumbles out behind her. Hajime lets out a battle cry, her other hand firm around the shovel's shaft, and swings wildly behind her. The resounding _thunk_ that comes from the shovel hitting the woman's side is deafening, more so than the cracking of bones as the woman crashes to the floor.

Hajime lifts the shovel again, making sure her feet are out of reach. She swings it back down—but the speed it descends forces it sidewides, into a more streamline position. Hajime breaks out of her stupor as the shovel embeds itself halfway through the woman's head. Blood explodes from the wound like a burst water balloon. A solid streak of it lands on Hajime and stains her light blue camisole.

She killed her.

Hajime's chest feels like it's caving in.

She killed her.

All she can smell is the rot, the iron, and it's so repugnant.

 _She killed her_.

"I—" Before Hajime can say anything, let alone babble a string of random words, her stomach flips upside down. She doubles over— _closer to the body_ —and dry heaves. Once, twice, and then a wave of pain overcomes her. The strain in her arms, the burning of bruising around, and perhaps even within her ankle.

Dinner doesn't stay down for long. The smell of bile does nothing to dampen the rot and blood that assaults her nose.

* * *

"What the fuck! What the _fuck_!"

Sukawa's screams are barely enough to drown out Pierre's own screeches of shock. Or his profanities.

"He's alive!?" comes a shout from the kitchen. Someone's rummaging around in the drawers and cupboards, screaming back that this is _not_ what people do in near-death experiences. Pierre wouldn't know. Quite frankly, he's struggling to think beyond what he's saying out loud.

"What the _FUCK_!" he screams again.

Avi jumps into action almost immediately, grabbing Sukawa and basically yanking him off of Mitsui like a ragdoll. The man's slung over his shoulders and howling, hands over his face and bleeding nonstop. Avi jumps back from Mitsui at least, getting both of them away from the other man's reach even as he begins to sit up.

Mitsui tumbles off of the table without so much as a reaction. His bones crunch and crack under his weight, his knee even popping out of place and stretching his jeans the _wrong way holy shit no human can have duck legs and not react accordingly_ —

"Begone, Dark Beast!" Haku shouts, breaking the screams and confused shouts as she rushes out of the kitchen with a plastic broom. She holds it like one would a sword, ready to strike the man down again, but his goddamn knee _braces him_ at the moment of impact.

Pierre screeches the same line again as he watches Haku fly across the room. One moment Mitsui is grabbing the broom handle with both hands, and the next he's swinging it—and Haku—towards the nearby window. Almost like it's trying to _humour_ her chuunibyou, hurling her straight through the window and outside the cabin.

He squeals not unlike Shinya had during Avi's attack on Janet when Mitsui turns for him.

" _Move!_ " Marcos shouts at him. He practically tackles Pierre out of Mitsui's stumbling path, rolling him into the kitchen like a bowling ball and following close behind. The others in the mess hall follow suit, and just as Shinya tries to shut the door and slide the lock home, Mitsui lodges himself between the frame.

"Get him off!" Shinya shouts. Janet and Akiko charge the door, putting all their weight into trying to force it shut despite Mitsui blocking it. His hand smears blood all over the kitchen wall as he reaches desperately for something to grab.

And find something, he does.

Fingers curl into Shinya's hair almost instantly, tugging the boy away from the door and closer to Mitsui's face. Shinya grabs Janet's hair in response, tugging at her ponytail in an attempt to stay out of Mitsui's teeth. They both scream very similar, if varyingly creative expletives into the kitchen.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck, fuck_ —" Shinya's eyes are wide as his curses speed up. "— _fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck_ —"

"Shinya, look out!"

Yuna darts in front of him, arms raised above her head and a cast iron skillet brandished in the air. Shinya screams—not unlike Pierre had earlier—and tells Yuna to wait in a panic. Yuna swings the skillet down, and all three drop to the ground not even a second later.

Mitsui is motionless, his hand still in Shinya's hair; Shinya lays atop him, his shirt slowly soaking up the pool of blood that oozes from the gash Yuna's made in the adult's head; and atop Shinya is Janet, still trying to get Shinya to let go of her hair and smacking his legs in an attempt at forcing him to.

Pierre—creative as ever tonight—whispers, "What the fuck…"

"Tachibana-san, did you just—" Akiko backs away from the door. It leans open under the weight of Mitsui's body. "Did you just—"

Yuna drops the skillet and raises her hands, eyes stuck on Mitsui's perma dead body. There's no getting back up from that, Pierre thinks. Not even in movies. "I'm sorry," she whispers. Her voice is calmer than everyone else's right now. It's like she's keeping it soft for crowd control, to keep everyone else from going into the deep end. "It was the only thing I could think of."

They all stare in silence, save for Sukawa's pained sobs atop Avi's shoulders, down at Mitsui. They all wait, expect him to get back up, but more time passes than the last. He's down for the count.

Pierre slumps against the wall Marcos had rolled him towards. He can vaguely hear activity on the other side of the door, Haku bursting in and announcing she's not going down so easy. The door is opened, Janet and Shinya stumbling back to their feet and away from each other, to the sight of a bloodied and battered Haku limping across the mess hall to them. There's glass in one of her shoulders, a long gash along her leg. Haku's scalp looks like it's bleeding too, one of her eyes shut to keep the blood out of it.

Aria is the first to leave the room for Haku, taking one of the first-aid kits they'd brought for Mitsui with her. Pierre watches the two, watches Haku be ushered to a nearby chair as she tells Aria, "My HP bar has deteriorated a little, but I can still fight!"

Not even almost dying can cure chuunibyou, huh?

Pierre places a hand over his heart and exhales shakily. Attention goes back to Sukawa now that Mitsui is out of the way, and it's no surprise the man is unconscious now. Avi's shirt is just covered in blood, clinging to him like sweat—not that it seems to bother him. Instead he adjusts his grip on Sukawa and waits for the others to come to him, to take the man off his hands. Pierre stares, breathless for a second time tonight, and wonders briefly if the man is even alive.

Sukawa twitches. Sukawa goes into a seizure. Everyone freezes, well aware of where this will lead.

The words tumble out of Pierre's mouth before he can stop himself: " _Yeet him!_ "

Despite the look of confusion on Avi's face, he follows through with the command rather well. He grunts an hurls Sukawa over one bench and onto the other, a streak of blood left behind on the metal surface as the man tumbles to the floor and out of sight.

"This can't be happening," someone says, but he can't register whose voice it is. Minori and Nui scurry away from the back of the room, gathering closer to Pierre by the wall. Yuna grabs the skillet again, a calm, almost practiced expression on her face. Unfazed by what's happening in front of her, even.

The moment they see Sukawa's head bob up over the counter, the man slowly getting to his feet with a groan, Tadase launches himself across the bench Avi is at and snatches a knife from a nearby drawer. It's not the sharpest they have—best suited for buttering bread more than slicing anything—but Pierre will be damned if the little guy doesn't make it work.

Tadase jumps atop the stained bench and jams the butter knife hard through Sukawa's eye. It goes in so deep that Pierre can't even see half the handle when Tadase lets it go, and it's safe to assume that Sukawa is in a similar state to Mitsui.

A small part of him remarks that Tadase _had_ said he'd be willing to stab someone in the eye again. At least it wasn't any of the other campers he did it to.

And then Pierre is hit with yet another wave of panic. Not all of the campers are in the mess hall. Haku came back in, sure, but one's been missing since before Mitsui went Romero on them.

"Mizushima-san," he says. He stumbles to his feet and squeezes out of the door, Akiko and Eichi hot at his heels. He glances at Aria as she delivers near-expert care to Haku's injuries, and then is focus is fully on the world in front of him as he bursts out of the mess hall.

The door to the staff cabin is wide open. Eichi keeps pace with him, trying not to get in the way with such a narrow opening, but Akiko shoves past him and into the cabin without so much as a word.

They're met with the sight of a woman's corpse on the floor, her face almost cleft in twain by the shovel embedded in it. Atop the pool of blood coming from her is a pool of vomit. And atop the pool of vomit, breathing harshly and with her ankle sporting four black finger marks around it, is Hajime.

* * *

 **So in summary: Hajime's ankle is fucked up, Haku got thrown out a damn window and needs stitches among other things, and Tadase kept his promise to stab another eye. A pretty good outcome I think!**

 **But yeah in all seriousness, I hope you enjoyed the zombie reveal. I definitely had fun writing it, and I'm looking forward to seeing your reactions!**


	9. 07: The Morning After

**A bit slow on delivery and a bit short on quantity but I wasn't sure how to continue stretching the gang gathering their bearings after the night prior without droning on. So we'll consider this a bit of "filler" to see how everyone's coping and where they stand on the issue, as well as insight to what our poor guides are gonna do now that they're in charge.**

* * *

 **07 - The Morning After**

The sun peeks over the horizon, just shy of the treetops around them, before they so much as entertain the idea of sleep. Some of them can't help resting—Haku, riddled with anaesthetic once Aria can sit her down again, passes out on the mattress they sit her on; Hajime, who passes out from exhaustion the moment her leg is wrapped and pressed with ice. There's too much to swallow, too much keeping their minds active whenever they try to close their eyes. Mitsui and Sukawa had been bad enough, but the woman who'd attacked Hajime, somehow getting in when no one else was paying attention, adds fuel to the fire.

Mitsui only did… _that_ after coming back from a short trip outside. A woman from outside was like… _that_. Logic dictates that the outside world—or the immediate populace around the Home—is the same.

Some of them are still waiting for the other emotional foot to drop. All that screaming and panic leading up to the calm drained them, and now there's only so much shock shared between the group. Catatonia, in cases like Nui and Pierre, the least prepared for such a scenario out of everyone. Even Yuna is more composed, actually taking it upon herself to clean up the kitchen in order to cook breakfast and keep everyone from neglecting themselves. But for those hardened by their own pasts, sequestered away from the rest of the group anticipating the hysteria, it's almost mundane.

Aria is an outlier, of sorts. She's neither hardened nor soft, landing on an alignment similar to Yuna. She's composed. She's treated the injured campers. She's agreed to help clean for the sake of order. It's beneath her, for sure, but no amount of charm is going to magically convince either side of the emotional reaction to help. And if she has to be around anyone right now, she wants the girl who acted on instinct and held no regrets about it when push came to shove.

Perhaps, she thinks as Yuna mops the blood around the body of Sukawa, there's someone just as used to blood as she is. Perhaps, she thinks as Yuna doesn't even flinch at the sight of Sukawa's corpse, there's someone who doesn't even mind getting a little dirty in all the right ways.

Yuna turns back to the bucket and cleans the mop again, wiping at her brow with the clean side of her rubber gloves. She catches Aria's gaze on her, smiles almost sheepishly, and asks, "Sorry, Yuwaku-san. You didn't want to collect any of this for yourself, did you?"

Hardly a question a sane person would ask. Hardly a question someone in Yuna's position _should_ ask.

"Diseased blood is of no use to me," Aria drawls. She looks down in front of her, to where Mitsui's corpse had been moved—by, of course, Yuna—and covered with a sheet. Sukawa's is in the same state. She pokes at the corpse with the toe of her high heels. Butchers were truly marvellous people, to invent such a way to avoid slipping on blood; a shame such a rich history behind the shoes was shoved under the rug for the sake of fashion. "I'll let you know when I feel like squandering all my work to achieve such perfection."

"I see." As soon as she goes back to mopping, Yuna goes on, "You're really good at treating injuries, aren't you, Yuwaku-san?"

Aria hums. Yuna's back is turned to her, and for a moment Aria's gaze shifts to the first aid kit she'd brought in with her. Some of her own belongings are inside, useful for more minor situations, but a couple of syringes and vials are added just in case. It's on the nearby counter, still open from Aria's initial request to check Yuna for injuries.

She takes a syringe and a vial as long and thin as her finger. She kneels down in front of Mitsui's body.

"Every drop is precious," she tells Yuna. As she speaks, she turns over the arm of the corpse and tries to find a vein. She's never had to draw from a dead body before, after all, and it's not like he can clench and unclench his fist for her right now. "Some of my Bloodies make mistakes. Make messes. It's only fair that, until they learn how to properly give themselves for the sake of my beauty, I care for them in return."

The blood that's drawn is almost pitch black. It's not the same dark red that a person's blood should be. Aria uncaps the vial and transfers it, and then covers Mitsui's corpse up with the sheet again.

When she stands, Yuna is looking back at her patiently. Aria caps the vial and sets it down on the bench.

"Yuna-chan," she says, making sure she can't be heard by the others in the mess hall, "you're awfully calm."

Yuna's smile comes off as guilty rather than sheepish now. "Am I?" she asks, voice just as soft. "It's weird, but part of me knows I need to be at my best for everyone else's sake right now. Even Shinya is a little shaken up, and he's been to the Home more times than I have."

"I doubt this is a thing the Home does."

"Still. You look at Takeda-san and Connelly-san and Honnouji-san, and this is just another day for them. But how they'll approach it will be different. Maybe the others won't like it. So I want to be calm in a way that they might agree with more."

A noble idea, but Yuna's reasoning does little in the way of answers.

The two girls watch each other for a moment. Yuna as though waiting for Aria to say something more, to challenge her, and Aria simply measuring the prim and proper girl's expression. Aria's not sure how much time passes before they both resume their business, but she doesn't linger on their exchange once they do. People have their reasons for being the way they are, she thinks, and she has no doubt Yuna is no exception.

She wraps the vial in cloth and puts it back in the first-aid kit. She's not sure what she'll use it for later, but it can never hurt to take a sample while it's safe. Aria will just have to keep silent about it for the time being, as will Yuna—who knows how everyone else will react to her stashing the blood of the undead?

There's a retching sound on the other side of the door, followed by numerous groans and curses. Aria sucks in a deep breath. It took almost half a day, but someone finally horked it over last night's events. She hopes the vomit is on the dirtier part of the floor, if only to save cleanup efforts. But she won't hold her breath.

"That's my cue," Aria tells Yuna. The other girl looks at her in confusion. "You can handle that while I check on the patients."

"Eh?" Yuna stammers. "M—Me? Aren't you helping clean up?"

Aria just giggles in response, leaving without so much as another word to the guide.

* * *

"We're not gonna beat around the bush, right?"

Barely half of them have sat down on the beds when someone speaks—Janet? Karenachi knows it's one of the girls, but he's too out of it to know which one. Everything's blending too close together for him to see more than just amalgamations of familiar shapes and sounds.

"In a moment," Tadase growls. A mop of red hair jumps to their feet. Yeah, it's Janet who'd broken the silence while everyone filtered into the cabin.

"What more is there to confirm?" Janet scoffs. She looks as tired as everyone else when Karenachi focuses on her. Does he look as tired as her, he asks himself? "We know no one was bitten, we know nothing else got in last night, and we know there aren't any breaks in the fence lining the hiking trail. What _else_ is there to procrastinate the situation with?"

"This is not procrastination," Tadase goes on. The only guide in the room is Hajime, and she's still unconscious from the shock of her situation. It's probably best for her; that ankle is so black and swollen that Karenachi has to wonder if it's broken beyond repair.

From across the room, another girl's voice pipes up: "It sure _feels_ like we're avoiding the truth bomb hanging over us."

All eyes turn for Akiko. Tadase begins to argue once more that he isn't insisting they avoid saying _it_ , but Akiko doesn't let him speak. "If it talks like a duck and walks like a duck," Akiko shouts at him, "then it's a fucking duck. We're not idiots—we've all heard of the trope. Mitsui-san came back and turned into a zombie. And then he turned Sukawa-san into one!"

"Thank you!" Janet growls. She throws her hands up before raking them through her hair.

Silence falls over the group once again. Karenachi removes his focus from Janet now, letting her fade back into the mess that the world has become. He tries to take stock of the situation, of the immediate area, as his gaze slowly runs across the room.

Haku and Hajime are on beds right next to each other, if only for ease of access. Karenachi avoided watching Aria treat them both—too many risks of relapsing on top of the stress, loathe as he is to admit—but now he can see the extent of their injuries. Well, as best as his position on the other side of the room allows him. Haku's covered in stitches and bandages, one notably around her head. Aria said there'd been a shard of glass—a small shard, but a shard nonetheless—embedded in her forehead. Apparently she's lucky neither of her eyes got any slivers lodged in them. As for Hajime… Karenachi knows she won't be walking around on that foot straight away. He wonders if there's enough frozen peas in the freezer to deal with the swelling.

Probably not.

Then there's the small group hovering nearby, just as lost as Karenachi. Nui, hugging a teddy bear she'd brought with her like a lifeline; Eichi, still pale and looking like he's about to throw up again; Minori, whose tough exterior has melted away into the same fear that Karenachi feels. He doesn't need to ask—he's noticed enough similarities between them to know they're on the same page emotionally. Avi, at least, is doing his best to comfort Nui by putting himself between the trio and the others.

And then the ones arguing, or at the very least making a list of what they know. Tadase is exuding authority atop his icy demeanour, still seeming like a machine with how _logical_ he's been so far. Janet is acting like she's got some familiarity with something like this—not the zombie thing, but the duress and need to address every point to a T. Akiko is caught between them, but seems to be leaning towards Janet's side of things and wants to get their argument over with. Jun and Marcos… Distant, is the word. Ever since Jun was let out last night, just before the shit hit the fan, the air around him has been tense. Karenachi worries he might lash out again. Judging by Marcos's wariness of him, his natural aversion to anything Jun involves himself in as the group debates, the concern isn't just Karenachi's.

The remaining guides and Aria are in the staff cabin. Karenachi doesn't want to think about what they're doing. Once he found out there's a body inside and that Hajime had gone to town on it, he's blocked the even from his mind. He wants to ask, wants to stop feeling so lost, but right now he prefers that lost feeling to the disgust that will come with talks of a corpse.

Karenachi feels the world slip away a little, unable to differentiate anymore. He wishes this was over. He wants to go home. He wants to be with his mother. He wants his brother.

God, he wants his brother to tell him it'll be okay. He'll take a nightmare or a hallucination at this point. Karenachi swallows the thick lump in his throat. Yeah… If Tomoki were still around, this whole situation would be easier to handle. At least then Karenachi would have the reassurance he needs.

If only Tomoki were still around…

"We need to eliminate the dead weight."

Karenachi's whole body goes cold. When had they started talking again? How had he not noticed? No, Karenachi missing a whole conversation makes sense. He's just so lost—nothing new, he thinks grimly—and can't figure out why that particular sentence is being flung around.

The one who'd said it was Tadase, and the once vehement Janet is hesitating to reply. He's probably said something she agrees with, but there's a clear dislike of thinking so similarly on her face. She grits her teeth, looks over at the trio of lost campers. Her gaze even flits over Karenachi, meeting his eyes for a fraction of a second.

"If there's one thing I know," Janet finally says, taking her time and measuring her words, "it's that _everyone_ tends to have something useful to them for every situation."

Tadase crosses his arms in front of his chest. He doesn't argue, simply turning his back on Janet and marching for the bed in the corner of the room.

Oh. Karenachi remembers something else as Tadase pulls a suitcase from under the mattress. This is the boys' side of the cabin. He's feels a little less lost now, but what Tadase aims to do still eludes him. Had he brought something to the Home that can help? Is he grabbing clothes to change into for the day? Marcos already had earlier—he'd lagged behind in search of pants thanks to his preference to sleep _au naturale_. It isn't naive to think Tadase is doing the same, right?

He dumps the suitcase on the bed and unzips it just as the guides finally make it back. Karenachi looks away from the pink-haired boy, still in a daze, and zeroes his focus on the teens standing in the doorway. Pierre and Shinya have a combination of water bottles and files in their hands, and behind them enter Aria and Yuna—also with files, but now with the addition of bags filled to the brims. He can't see with what. He's not sure he wants to know with what.

At least it's not corpse-related.

"Did we…" Pierre starts, brows raised as he looks at Tadase. "Did we interrupt something?"

"Not at all," is Tadase's cold reply. Janet doesn't disagree. No one does, really. The intensity in the room just increases threefold as everyone slowly moves their attention to the files.

Karenachi gets the impression that Yuna has more agency, at least on the calmer side, among the guides. It's not just how quickly she'd acted last night to help Shinya, but also how she'd volunteered to clean up while everyone processed everything. And now, as she pushes past the boys, the way she heads over to the injured campers while addressing everyone else.

"We haven't been able to get hold of anyone outside the Home," she explains. She sets down the files on one of the dressers and rummages through the bag. Karenachi can see her pulling out medical supplies. Among them is something he can only assume is a splint. The Home really is prepared for anything, huh? "Shinya and I did the math while Yuwaku-san and Adkins-san gathered anything we could use for the time being—we have enough supplies, including the garden if we keep taking care of it, to last a month."

She fastens the splint against the unconscious Hajime's ankle, wrapping it proper before setting the foot down on top of a pillow.

"But," she goes on, "that's just the stuff that's vacuum-sealed. The meat won't last more than two weeks between all of us."

"A week and a half if we keep using the frozen food to treat swelling," Aria adds on. It's not a helpful addition, but it definitely gives everyone an idea of how screwed they all are.

"So we're fucked in a week and a half?" Akiko asks. "Is that what the takeaway is?"

Shinya at least starts playing his usual role of mediator again. He waves his free hand as he and Pierre go around with water bottles for everyone. "The takeaway is that we just need to work a bit harder!" he says with a laugh.

"And maybe not ' _Lord of the Flies_ ' our situation," Pierre mumbles.

Karenachi looks back at Tadase. He's paused his interaction with his suitcase, eyes darting from guide to guide ever so slowly. Karenachi isn't sure why Tadase looks to Aria, then to Janet, but the way the girls meet his gaze with unreadable expressions forms a pit in his stomach. The fact that none of them says anything makes his anxiety grow.

At least Akiko keeps digging for answers that everyone else wants. "And the files?"

"That was my suggestion," Aria announces. It's as though she's pointedly addressing Tadase and Janet as she goes on, "In order to function until we have a full grasp of our situation, we should all know why everyone is here and what they're capable of. We don't need to risk another situation that leaves us short on supplies." She shakes her head. "Or waste blood."

Karenachi recalls Tadase's desire to drop dead weight. He can't help thinking this is a more diplomatic version of the idea, especially with everyone's dirty laundry being aired right after Mitsui and Sukawa died.

"It's understandable if you're not comfortable with this," Pierre says, overtaking the conversation. "This… is technically an invasion of privacy. Like, lawsuit-worthy—"

"Good luck finding a lawyer right now," Janet mumbles.

"—but we truly determined this to be the best option right now to keep us functional until we get more info."

Marcos says, "Some of us were already considering that as an option."

Yuna claps her hands together as she gathers her things. She's making the rounds proper now, starting with Minori and handing the sweating girl a forehead cooling pack.

"Then we should have no problems," she decides. "Any volunteers to open up first?"

To say everyone waits for someone else to raise their hand is an understatement. Even Karenachi is beyond hesitant. He worries at his lip with his teeth, looking back over at Minori as she tries to steady herself. The sudden change in temperature has her shaking now, though Karenachi knows just how easily it could be the detoxing process slamming her into an emotional wall.

He digs his nails into his knees. He came here to get better, right? To love himself? What better way to put himself on the road of no return than by being the first one to admit their flaws?

His hand shakes as it rises above his head. A boy's voice—he thinks it might be Eichi's—mutters, "Ohicko-san?" with enough confusion for everyone else who looks to him.

"T—Tachibana-san," he croaks. Karenachi turns red at how hoarse his voice sounds. He sounds like he's been crying, like he's been locked away without water for a week. "R—Read mine first."

There's silence in the cabin for a moment. The guides all look to each other, and when Karenachi glimpses at the campers again he can see every pair of eyes on him. Watching, waiting, staring.

He feels sick knowing he'd welcomed so much attention.

But Shinya gives him a thankful tone in return, the rustling of paper accompanying his voice: "We appreciate it, Ohicko-san."

Of everyone waiting for Shinya to begin reading out Karenachi's file, Karenachi himself may be holding the most breath in anticipation.

* * *

 **Hey, bonus to this is that next chapter we dive directly into why everyone's at the Home and what they're capable of on the surface! That'll be fun!  
**


	10. 08: First Steps

**Another short one, but I figure instead of having the account idle for more than a few months (and missing a potential bday update whaddup) I'd post the slowly building steps to the kiddos' progress. Also, no lie, I almost forgot to put a title on this thing and nearly posted it as "owo whats this: electric boogaloo". Truly, naming things is an art form.**

* * *

 **08 – First Steps**

 **Six months ago**

Everything felt numb.

It wasn't just on a physical level—no, it seeped into every part of him, drained him more than life already had and left him more of a husk than he'd ever been before. How long ago had he felt so drastically different? How long since the high had gripped him, punished him with its pleasuring pain? How long ago had it been since he was aware of the high? How long ago had he lost himself to it fully and drowned in its depths?

The shallow breaths and rhythmic beeps were hard to ignore. He knew the breathing was his own, the awareness of how hard he was trying to breathe as good an indicator as any, but the beeping left him lost for a moment. It wasn't something he'd hear every day, not like a microwave or a dial tone. It was something more fantastical, something suited for TV soap operas and dramas.

Ah. It was a heart monitor, wasn't it? Was he connected to a heart monitor?

No, he couldn't be. He was a waste of space, a waste of resources. Saving his life would've been on par with beating a dead horse.

He opened his eyes, finally focused his hearing. He could hear more than the beeps and his own breathing—the hiccups of someone nearby, the prayers of a desperate mother. His name, his brother's name, a plea to stay.

With every sob his mother made, still unaware that her son was awake, the numbness slowly crumbled away. Not that it made him feel any better, but feeling like trash was better than feeling nothing at all in this situation. He'd wasted doctors' time, paramedics' time, his own _mother's_ time.

He was the scum of the earth.

* * *

"Who has which files?"

The words snap Nui out of her stupor in an instant. She's holding her bear in a death grip, huddled away in a small group with a few others in similar states to herself. And like a guard dog keeping everyone back, Avi has seated himself between the group and everyone else.

"I've got Ohicko-san's!" calls Yuna from nearby. Nui looks over her shoulder, just in time for Yuna to meet her cautious gaze, and she gets a soft smile in return. Yuna sets aside the small stack of folders she'd been holding, a few sheets of paper left in her hands as everyone watches her with bated breaths. What are they doing? Are those the files on the campers?

"Whenever you're ready, Tachibana-san," Pierre tells her. Yuna nods and clears her throat.

"Ohicko Karenachi," she reads aloud, voice raised enough to make even the unconscious Hajime stir. "Aged seventeen. Comes from Yokohama. Reason for admission: Self-admitted, cites a desire to better himself and recover from past trauma."

A few pairs of brows rise. Yuna glances up at everyone, and then continues, "Past medical history: Admitted to hospital due to an overdose of—"

"No more."

Karenanchi's sudden protest takes them all by surprise. Nui isn't sure what's going on still, but she knows the demand is out of character for the blond based on the past week she's known him.

The boy in question hides his face behind his hands and shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Tachibana-san," he sighs. "I'm not comfortable with the rest being said."

Yuna opens her mouth to reply, but Tadase's cold voice cuts her off. "That's fine," he says loudly, making sure everyone hears him. "Now we know where to start drawing the line at dead weight. Self-loathing drug addicts will have no use for us."

Two people jump to their feet the moment he says that—the first is Eichi, the only one to get close enough to Karenachi to be called a friend, and the other is Akiko, if only to hold the enraged Eichi back as he stalks over to Tadase.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Eichi snaps. Tadase casts him a lazy stare, making it painfully clear he has no time for the taller boy. Eichi gets to Tadase before Akiko can reach him. He snatches at the boy's shirt, and as he grips the collar tightly he's finally rewarded with a venomous glare.

"Unhand me," Tadase growls.

"Fuck off. What right do you have to judge anyone else in this place? At least Ohicko-san had the balls to volunteer himself for this place and improve himself." Eichi pulls Tadase closer, forcing the pink-haired boy to the tips of his toes. There's murder in Tadase's eyes. "I didn't see _you_ volunteering to air your dirty laundry, either."

Akiko manages to grab Eichi's shoulder just as Tadase lashes out. Nui's heart leaps into her throat as she watches the smaller boy swipe at him. Something whistles through the air, a flash of silver coming far too close to Eichi's face—had Akiko not pulled him back when she had, jostling his grip on Tadase's collar, the thing in Tadase's hand would've come in contact with Eichi's eye.

When Tadase steps back, eyes wide and filled with hatred, everyone can see what he's got hidden away for moments like this: A fountain pen, more than likely lifted from the staff cabin while everyone else was busy coming to terms with the ordeal of last night.

"I already said more than I needed to about myself," Tadase snarls at Eichi, "and you've seen more than enough of what I'm capable of. No one else can say the same of _you_."

A water bottle sails past Akiko and Eichi. Nui's mind is racing when she watches Tadase swat it away. She can't fathom all of these things happening right now, let alone who is doing them. Even the guides are lost on where to start putting out the fire, hesitating with every new development or challenger in this heated argument. Much like Nui, they're especially lost at what to do with Karenachi—who, if his posture is anything to go by, was the one to throw the bottle at Tadase.

She's never seen him this angry before. She never even thought it possible for him to get angry. He's so meek and self-conscious all the time, so much like Nui herself on a good day, that anger should've been a foreign concept. But what she sees goes beyond anger as he glares at Tadase. What she sees is a protest, an objection; Karenachi taking a stand not for his own sake, but for Eichi's.

Nui so desperately hopes Karenachi's bravery doesn't end in death like her own had.

He picks up another bottle, this one half-empty, and readies it to throw at Tadase again. His hand shakes with how hard he grips it, the plastic crinkling and filling the silence that drags on with every passing second.

" _Shut. Up_ ," is all Karenachi says.

The tension is impossibly high. When the guides finally figure out how to intervene, not even the crackling of electricity from the taser fazes the arguing teens. Nui clutches her bear even tighter. Any more and its poor head will probably pop off. The guide in question readying their taser is Shinya, his characteristic goofy smile replaced with a more exasperated expression. Even he is starting to reach his limit, Nui thinks grimly.

"Now, now," Shinya chides, "Adkins-san just said not to _Lord of the Flies_ our situation. If it helps any, coming from someone who used to be a camper here, the situation we're in is no different from what was intended for us. So let's all calm down and avoid whittling down our numbers right off the bat."

Akiko levels a hard stare at Tadase. "Exactly," she agrees. "No one's here for a better reason than everyone else."

"A person's sentence is not indicative of their abilities." Tadase crosses his arms. He scans the room, occasionally stopping on someone and blinking at them, before finally he notices Nui's attention. Now that she's back in reality, she's not safe from the conflict either. "You. What earned you a one-way ticket to the Home?"

She hesitates. It gives a few people a chance to jump to her defense—Akiko once again, yelling at Tadase to listen to them; Janet, demanding he lay off and focus on the issue at hand; Yuna, quite literally jumping to her defense by putting herself between Tadase and Nui, blocking the bespectacled girl's view of the angered boy. And like a cherry on top, Shinya: Rustling paper and staring down at the folder in his hands.

"Honnouji-san," he says quietly, "let's try not put our feet in our mouths just yet."

Nui's gaze jumps to Shinya. Is that her file? No, no, why does he have her file? She doesn't want everyone to know what she'd done—how pathetic she is, even after all the effort she put into changing herself. What if Shinya becomes cruel as well? She couldn't handle more torment than what Horibe—

Nui sucks in a deep breath. Horibe… She's here because of Horibe… If Shinya knows what Nui did, if he becomes like Horibe, will Nui wind up killing him too? Her chest practically collapses in on itself. She can't take more blood on her hands. She can't—she'd rather die herself!

Shinya speaks again, this time setting the file down and sighing. "Maybe this wasn't the best idea," he laments.

Aria speaks up for the first time since Nui started paying attention again, her melodious voice almost soothing. "I take the blame for this," Aria announces. "I suggested learning about our capabilities for the worst case scenario, after all."

"M—Maybe we can still work something out!" Pierre hurriedly pulls out timetables from his own files. He flips pages over, discards some, before he finally gives up and yanks a folder off of the floor. He smooths it out and leans on a nearby dresser. "We just need to, uh… Make a roster? As long as we know who can handle what chores, we're alright, aren't we? Honnouji-san, your pen—"

Tadase, very obviously holding the fountain pen still—and even capping it—deadpans, "What pen."

Pierre hesitates. Nui swears he's about to challenge the smaller boy, but seems to consider the consequences of that particular choice. Pierre shakes his head and continues smoothing out the paper. "What if we just write down things like cooking and gardening and cleaning—all the real basic junk—and we make a roster based on whose strengths lie where?"

Everyone is silent. Contemplative. It's like no one wants to admit to the proposal, too anxious to give out even the smallest bit of information after seeing the discourse that brewed from Karenachi's alone.

There's a groan behind her. Nui jumps and crawls away from the bed at lightning speeds, heart hammering in her chest. She knows it's Hajime on the bed behind her, but she still feels like something could jump out and grab her at any moment.

Hajime raises a hand lazily, still not quite there thanks to the painkillers. "Like sunflowers," she slurs. "I'unno if I can garden 'em."

Shinya blinks at her. "Mizushima-san? How long have you been awake?"

"Loud…"

The slurred response elicits a few giggles. Hajime joins in, probably unsure as to why some of them are laughing, but it seems like her declaration has calmed the group somewhat. Nui can see a few are still on edge, still ready to run or defend themselves at the drop of a hat, but she can still feel the tension lifting from the air. There's relief poking its head in ever so slowly.

"I think we can manage that," Yuna decides. She opens the drawer closest to her and tucks her own set of files in it, shutting the door with a satisfied hum. "Why don't we all rest for a bit? Adkins-san and I can draw up a roster and pass it around later. We'll even start it off by filling in what we can do!"

"Sounds good." Shinya all but collapses onto a nearby bed. He's somehow already disposed of his own files. "Man, but zombies… Who'd have thunk it?"

Nui loosens her grip on her bear. With the circumstances outside, threatening them with every passing minute, it helps that everyone is calmer now. Maybe now they can talk about what they can do without going at each other's throats. She shifts and looks between Minori and Avi, the only two people near her, and finally settles her attention on Minori.

Nervous as it makes her to speak up, she whispers to the girl, "Are you okay, Akiyama-san?"

Minori's shaking, but thanks to the cold sweat she's in Nui can't tell if it's from fear or something else.

"Do you think our families are okay?" Minori mumbles to her. Nui's heart clenches, almost skips a beat. She hadn't even considered her parents, hadn't considered anyone outside of the Home.

Are they dead? Are they surviving? Are they… zombies?

Nui's lip trembles as she tries to hold back a squeak. Thinking on it will only make her stress again. Thinking on it will make Minori feel worse. But they need to think on it eventually, right?

"I don't know," she admits. As though to reassure the other girl, Nui adds, "I hope so."

Minori just curls up even tighter around herself. Not once does she stop trembling.

Akiko announces that she's going to go into the girls' side of the cabin and drag some mattresses in. Aria, declaring Hajime needs to just sleep off the rest of the painkillers, leaves to help her. Everyone remains quiet as they duck into the next room, and it's only a matter of time before everyone except for a select few take the time to properly rest.

It'll be a rest they so desperately need before tackling reality, Nui thinks grimly.

* * *

 **So I've got my birthday next week, which means I don't know how much of next chapter I'll be able to work on! I will be trying to push out an update for Runner Ups next, and hopefully I can do it before a glass of midori is shoved in my face. So until then, guys!**


	11. 09: With Friends Like These

**Surprise! To those who saw Amaranthine, I told ya I'd see you again in Scout ;) Here's hoping the length of this baby makes up for the last chapter's length, and just a heads up that I'm compiling chapters so I can make a steady updating schedule. It'll take some time cuz of my classes having assignments due soon, but for now here's hoping this sates some appetites!**

 **For those confused as to what the heck Amaranthine is, it's an oc/canon HOTD story I'm gonna work on when I burn out from assignments and compiling chapters to keep myself busy and keep my writing habits consistent. Right now it's one chapter and in the voting stage, so if y'all wanna give it a look feel free.**

* * *

 **09 - With Friends Like These**

 **Three years ago**

She sniffed, dragged her arm across her face to wipe the angry tears from spilling over. It was all she could do right now, short of screaming and throwing a tantrum and alerting the whole family to her being awake. It was all she could do to hide the fact that she was running away—and then some.

Had there ever been a point to it all? A point to her suffering? Her punishments? Her own _family_? God, could she still even call them that out of obligation? At this point they were a group of strangers who happened to live together, and she knew they saw her the same way. The man who played the role of father had to have known—had to have known that the woman playing the role of his wife was selling herself to other men in the borough. That the children playing the role of his own flesh and blood were shams.

Was it all just for nothing?

She clutched the suitcase tightly to her chest, careful not to let it drop. She didn't pack the essentials—only packed what she'd stolen from the mines, hidden away for her own desires. She was beaten for finding the wrong things, but she'd rather die than leave anything else for these monsters. Bare feet padded through the small home, practiced pathways avoiding all the creaks that would wake the bitch who dared call herself a mother. They kept their front door locked, but it was a subpar lock that even she could undo without much noise.

Outside she'd set aside a large container of oil, hidden away in the shrubbery. Once she was walking along the dirt floor of the mine entrance, she wasted no time exchanging her suitcase for the container. She snuck back inside, retracing her steps, and uncapped the container once she was back in her bedroom.

The trail of oil made walking back out difficult, but at least she'd had the foresight to leave space for a trip to the kitchen—a knife would be handy, she reasoned—before she doused the outside of the house in what was left. Not once had anyone stirred, not once had they noticed the smell. They just snored away like they were innocent, free of all blame from anyone.

She'd be the judge of that.

It was just after midnight when she dropped a lit match inside what remained of the container. It was just after midnight when she hurled the burning plastic through the nearest window, hands aching from the sudden burst of heat. It was just after midnight when the small shack outside the mines that she called home turned into a bonfire.

She held the knife between both hands and watched each exit like a hawk. Even if they escaped the flames, no one would escape her wrath. Not a single one of the disgusting shams who tried to play house.

* * *

At the very least, the guides have the decency to give everyone their files.

She stares at her own for a moment, well aware of what's inside but curious nonetheless. How could Janet not know what her own file says? She's what allowed half of it to be written in the first place, and though she won't go as far as saying she's proud of that, it's a fact she can attest to without a hint of doubt. It'll mention her arrest earlier in the year, it'll mention the men she killed, and it'll even mention the reduced sentencing her lawyer had nabbed her.

But it still vexes her. It's a file on _Janet_ , and it's so _thin_. Nui's had been a little thicker, she'd noticed, and even Jun's folder was up there in paperwork. But Janet's looks barebones. Like the police, the staff of the Home, the courts just couldn't get enough information on her.

Then again… Janet smiles and shakes her head. She does have a bit of an underground history, and it's not like finding relatives will be an easy job. Especially not when she was arrested in a whole other country.

She doesn't need to read her own file, she figures. She'd _much_ rather get her hands on someone else's and, like she'd said earlier, prove that everyone here has their uses. It's one thing she never forgot when she'd run away from home, and it's one lesson she'll swear by no matter who she meets. The only thing that makes someone useless is if they're disagreeable, and Janet knows ways to make sure that doesn't happen. That masked little boy will eat his words and see that not everything revolves around him and his own needs.

So the question remains: Whose file does she go for first? The guides are uninteresting unless she can find Shinya's older files, or if Hajime sleeps long enough for Janet to find it at all. She won't risk someone who could start a big fight—Avian is out of the question for that one, especially with his berserk tendencies. Jun? He doesn't seem the type to care. Marcos might even share his own if she offers to trade; it's not hard to notice that he hates the Japanese members of their little ensemble, more willing to trust a tiny white girl who stood up to a mean Japanese boy yesterday.

Minori's going through the motions of her thing, so she might not notice if Janet looks for her file. Karenachi doesn't even want to open his own, so he's an easy target too. Akiko… Might work as well. She's been busying herself with Aria and Yuna, getting things prepared for the long wait until they run out of food. Eichi's been sticking with Karenachi too, so there's another one not keeping an eye on their file. Ariakaria? God, she doesn't hide anything about her deal. Janet doesn't need half a brain to tell herself that the girl has some kind of Bathory mindset, _and_ that she's proud of it to the point of freely admitting it.

The wannabe demon queen is an easy guess too. Clearly she's only here for her delusions and some kind of attempt to make her return to reality. Not that that's ever going to happen, Janet thinks with a scoff. Being thrown out a window is usually a good way to bring someone back down to earth, and this little dweeb made a remark about her HP bar taking a hit.

The safest start may well be Marcos, she decides. Janet pinches her brow and reaches for her file. She crawls off of her mattress, careful not to wake the others resting after a night of anxiety and panic, and makes her way through to the girls' side of the cabin. It's easier to sneak out through that side without waking the lighter sleepers, and everyone's sort of scattered about following the dawn of the new day. She knows Yuna and Shinya are in the staff cabin, trying to get a signal, and she knows that Akiko and Ariakaria are making a list of all the food they have. Everyone else? Sleeping or doing their own thing.

It's an easy guess where to find Marcos, at least. All the fuss of the past two days isn't good for his wound, so he's bound to be replacing the bandage. Hell, she's even proven right when she checks the first possible cabin a first aid kit would be kept in—Ariakaria's been deemed most knowledgeable on how to use everything in the kit, so it's only natural that it stays in the dining room while she and Akiko make a list of food in the kitchen.

There he sits on his own, patching up his shoulder just as Janet walks in. His file is tucked under the kit, almost like he's using it as a paperweight, and he's awkwardly applying tape to hold the gauze in place. Janet mosies on over, doesn't even call out to get his attention. She just dumps her file on the table next to the kit, startling him, and puts on a show of looking dejected as she sits down next to him.

"Kinda hoped the end of the world would be quicker," she sighs. Marcos grunts, attention still on the gauze more than her. "Kinda hoped I'd be with loved ones too, instead of here."

"We can't always get what we want," Marcos says, half-glancing at her for once.

Janet hums and leans her chin on her hands. "At least we're in the mountains. Kind of. The higher ground'll keep us safe for longer."

"You think so?"

"I know so! Trust me, I used to live almost _underground_ ; this is a major improvement to even being in the cities."

Now he looks at her, brows raised and lips pulled into a tight line. "No shit?"

Janet nods and smiles. She's reeling him in, little by little. "Never got too hot in the summer. Then again, Ireland isn't known for being particularly warm."

He hums much like she had. He turns his attention back to the gauze, and he finally manages to finish reapplying his bandaging. Well, at least he can take care of his own wounds, she tells herself.

"What about you?" she presses. "You come from outside of Japan too?"

Marcos purses his lips. He's more than a little tense as he starts to pack up the first aid kit.

"I've been here for the past few years." He clicks the kit shut and rests his hands atop it. "Lived in Tokyo."

Huh. She shouldn't be as surprised as she is. Janet nods and begins to fiddle with her file. He must be guarding his own, she thinks, because he certainly isn't letting up on his grip on the kit. Just how bad could his sentence be?

"But," Marcos goes on, surprising her again, "before that, I lived in Madrid with my father."

"Spain," Janet notes. Marcos nods.

"I liked it much more than living here. Things weren't perfect, but nothing went wrong like it did in Japan." His shoulders slump. "My dad was still alive when we lived in Madrid."

Oho. Here we go.

"I'm so sorry," Janet mutters. She reaches out and pats him on his shoulder, and Marcos looks at her again. "Were you two close?"

Marcos doesn't shrug her off. He looks back down to his file for a moment, and then at Janet's. Contemplative, she thinks.

"He was my best friend. He was… my only friend once we came here."

Yeah, she can see that happening. Antisocial as he is with the locals, it's no surprise his only friend after moving to Japan was his dad. So with dad out of the picture, baby Marcos is bound to struggle and get into trouble more easily. And without dad to defend baby Marcos and set him on the right path, that resentment for the locals is only going to fester.

She could make a solidarity out of this. He's admitted more to her than he will most of the others here, so it's worth a shot. She just has to give up a little something of her own to make it smoother.

Janet chews her lip and lets go of Marcos. She rubs the back of her neck, pretending not to notice the way he looks at her with pinched brows, and mumbles, "I lost a friend of mine. My only friend, really. Not to death but… But not knowing where she is feels like dying, y'know?"

Marcos tilts his head. "What happened to her?"

 _Cast the bait_. "We got into trouble a lot, so I shouldn't have been surprised that it happened to one of us. But she doesn't deserve it."

Marcos leans closer. "Deserve what, Janet?"

 _Reel it in slowly_. "People we thought we could trust—they sold her, put her into a sex trafficking ring. I never found out until it was too late."

There's a sharp inhale. Marcos leans back, more tense than before, and when Janet looks up there's horror in his eyes. She won't correct him on the age he _has_ to be assuming. When someone as young as Janet mentions friends, people always assume they'd be the same age. A fifteen-year-old being put through that hell? Possibly younger? Terrifying for some people to even fathom.

Terrifying for even Marcos to fathom, it seems.

"I never would've come to the Home, honestly," she admits. Marcos is still silent, almost holding his breath as he listens to her talk. "But when I found out she's _here_ , in _Japan_ … I couldn't let that opportunity slip by."

"Do you know where in Japan?" Marcos asks immediately. Janet looks at him with wide eyes. He's really invested in this, huh?

She opens her mouth, starts to say the destination, only to pause and feign an epiphany. "Tokyo," she gasps. Like she hadn't made the connection that Marcos knows Tokyo better than she will.

 _Ease up a little_. "Ah, but," she goes on, "it's not like I can do much now. Even if it wasn't the end of the world, I'd never get far. I'm basically an outsider here."

Marcos quickly looks away from her. He removes his arms from the first aid kit—a good sign, if Janet ever saw one—and practically runs his hands down his face. He's sucking in deep breaths, mulling over something, and all Janet needs to do is give him a little push to get him on her side. To convince him that _she_ is on _his_ side.

So Janet just stands up and clears her throat, forcing herself to blush and wave dismissively. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dumped all that on you—it's heavy—"

"It's fine," Marcos interrupts her. He sucks in a deep breath behind his hands and finally, finally lets them fall onto his lap. "It's just… you're only a little older than I was when I got sent to juvie. I just need to… to process it."

 _Now put your back into it!_ "You're not put-off by it? I mean, you've gotta assume I did some bad stuff just to find out who bought her."

"I know—I know. But—" Marcos growls and shakes his head. His shoulders slump, his head drops, and he sighs with enough defeat for Janet to see the white flag waving above his head. "But I know how it feels, doing bad things for people you love."

Janet sniffs. She slowly sits back down. She toys with the edge of her file, glances at the first aid kit on top of Marcos's. With careful movements, she picks up the file and puts it on top of the kit for Marcos to take.

He looks at her in alarm. Janet just smiles guiltily, playing up her shame as she tells him, "I don't… wanna keep any secrets. Almost everyone here seems to want to coexist and make it through the whole zombie thing, but—well… Us foreign kids have to look out for each other, right?"

Something clicks in Marcos's eyes. He looks at Janet like he's seeing a new side to her, like he's found something hopeful within her, and for once he's not entirely closed off when it comes to the topic of trust. He's an open book, and Janet can see in big, bold letters, two simple words: _I agree_.

 _Hook, line and sinker._

"You don't have to—"

Janet shakes her head at him. "I trust you, Marcos. I know you won't judge me, not like the others will. You… understand why I did what I had to."

He looks at her file, almost helpless, and picks it up with one hand. The other, to her glee, starts pushing the first aid kit off of his own file. Marcos doesn't push it towards her immediately, but he does hesitate a little less than she expected him to. She's really sold him on the idea of her being desperate and lost in a foreign land, doing whatever she can to find her friend. Nothing in her file will tell him otherwise.

Finally he pushes it towards her, and he says, "You'll understand too. You can read mine."

 _What an easy target_. "Thank you, Marcos. You're a good friend."

He doesn't respond. His ears just turn red, bashful at being called a friend for the first time in possibly years, and he silently opens her file to read.

Janet plays it cool as she opens his own. There's basic information at first—Marcos Rodriguez, eighteen years old, born in Madrid—and slowly it delves into the barebones medical information. Nothing alarming, just a period of difficulty with adjusting to his father's death and anger issues when it comes to the man. And then she hits the document signed by his warden, co-signed by Marcos. And just below that… Oh, below that is everything she wanted.

 _Beat a classmate to death for allegedly disrespecting the late Pedro Rodriguez. Charged with manslaughter. Spent two years in juvenile detention before being sent to the Home for Troubled Youths on good behavior for a parole test. Extreme caution required when leaving Marcos Rodriguez with Japanese staff and campers._

The smile may not show on her face, but she'd be beaming from ear to ear if she could. In her head, she's already starting her list of roles for everyone not unlike the one she'd make with each new team she and Iris would work with back in Ireland.

 _Marcos Rodriguez: Brawn, possible tank. Expendable._

* * *

She's woken from a dreamless sleep by a hand softly shaking her. Nui opens her eyes, blissfully ignorant of the situation around her for the moment, but it soon returns when she sees Hajime looming over her with an apologetic look to her. Nui clutches at her teddy a little tighter, lifts her head with a tired hum.

"I'm sorry, Suzuki-san," Hajime whispers. "But can you go check on Tachibana-san and Kuroda-san for me? Adkins-san is out like a light and I can't walk on my own."

Nui rubs at her eyes and slowly pulls her glasses from the teddy's little apron pocket. "Why me?" she slurs.

Hajime laughs guiltily. "Honestly? You look like you could use a little fresh air. And I trust you to stand in as a guide for five minutes."

She slides her glasses up her nose. Hajime trusts her? Enough to let her run an errand? The level of relief she finds herself feeling makes her forget just for a moment who is left to rely on in the cabin. In a place like this, in a situation like this, Nui is still considered trustworthy by the people in charge.

"Sure," she agrees. She hugs her teddy to her chest and tries to stand. "I could do with fresh air. I'll see if anyone else needs help."

Hajime thanks her, sounding tired the longer Nui stays behind to ask what else needs doing. Nui just clutches her teddy tighter, slides on her slippers, and decides it best to leave Hajime to rest a little longer instead of putting up with Nui's pestering.

It's not overly bright out, a little cloudy for Nui's tastes. She wonders if it'll rain in the coming days, or if the overcast weather will pass them by quickly. She doesn't know where everyone else is—the people who opted not to rest any longer—but she knows well enough that if she's looking for Yuna and Shinya, she may as well start in the staff cabin. They've been in there for the past day now, sometimes even sleeping there in shifts while Pierre tries to get help from more trustworthy campers. It's admirable, Nui thinks: Only one day without adults, without help whatsoever, and Yuna and Shinya have already started a pattern to keep on top of things for the sake of the camp.

The paper with everyone's strengths hasn't been circulating a lot since it was proposed, but Nui thinks she might bring up some things she's good at while she checks on the guides. It doesn't feel right just letting them do all the heavy lifting, so whatever menial tasks she can help them with might do some good.

She breathes the air in deeply, lingering on the smell of the trees around the Home. She remembers reading somewhere that trees make for good external insulation, and part of her wonders if these trees will be thick enough, or tall enough even, to serve that purpose. It'd be nice to not get too cold from the wind when she has to go outside, especially since everyone intended on staying for just the summer. No one's prepared for when the weather turns cold and the rain, perhaps even the snow, begins to fall.

The thoughts of clothes come to a halt, and Nui is reminded of her absentmindedness when her bare foot nudges a pebble along the dirt path. She flinches, jumps back, and suddenly she's all too aware of the fact that she's just strolled out of the cabin in her pyjamas, teddy still in her arms and hair still half-loose over her shoulder. Nui reaches up quickly to smooth out her bangs, and it's a small relief that they fall back into their usual hime style with ease. Returning to the cabin to change will just make her look silly, and looking silly will only put her under more scrutiny. She's already been singled out once by Tadase for a subject she doesn't want to broach—if she can avoid drawing more attention to herself by constantly coming and going from the same place, she'll take pyjamas over day clothes.

Still… It's embarrassing that everyone's probably seen her teddy now. They probably think it's childish, but it's not Nui's fault she never grew out of the bear! Between how everyone at school treated her, and how her parents reacted every time she tried to tell them how she was being treated, Nui could only keep herself from becoming affection-starved with soft toys and dolls. She didn't have a choice if she wanted to feel some kind of love back then…

She's almost at the crossroad between the staff cabin and the cafeteria when she pauses again. Nui pinches at her side, at the inch-thick blob of fat she pulls back from her waist. She purses her lips— _still not enough, not by a long shot_ —and pinches harder, hard enough to hurt. Everyone always treated her like garbage because she was a little overweight as a kid. It wasn't her fault her metabolism wasn't like everyone else's, and it wasn't her fault that her parents spoiled her over every little accomplishment until they noticed she never fit in the clothes they bought her. Horibe always called her a piglet, all the way through elementary and middle school, and Nui had been so sure that that was why everyone hated her. So between the end of middle school and the start of high school, Nui had drastically changed her diet and exercise habits; it had hurt, and she'd been so sure she was on the verge of collapsing every time she took a day to rest, but she'd been able to look like the other girls by the time she started her first year of high school.

She was pretty, she'd thought when people looked at her _without_ disgust or malice. Boys stared at her chest every so often, some of the fat still present and making it a tad hard for some shirts to be worn, and girls didn't make snide comments about what she'd bought for lunch. No one ever said anything relating to pigs around her, and for the first semester things had been so good. She hadn't needed the teddies and the dolls, even if her parents still had reservations about going back to their old affectionate ways with her.

But Horibe…

The door to the cafeteria flies open loudly, and Nui lets go of her waist in a hurry. She's smoothing the pyjamas as Akiko takes note of her presence, and the sight of the smaller girl also in her pyjamas brings a bit of hope to Nui's heart. At least she isn't the only one, she thinks as a small smile makes its way to her face.

"Suzuki-san, good morning!" Akiko calls as she jogs over. Though she's in pyjamas as well, Akiko seems to have had the foresight to slip on her shoes on the way to the cafeteria. "Didn't expect to see anyone out here yet."

Nui waves to her sheepishly. "Good morning, Shimizu-san. Mizushima-san asked me to run an errand."

"Oh. How's she doing? She was still out when Yuwaku and I left."

"Tired," Nui reports with a nervous laugh. "But not slurring as much."

Akiko lets out a relieved breath. "So what's the errand? I'll walk with you."

"She just wants me to see how Kuroda-san and Tachibana-san are doing. I think she's worried because she can't help too much yet." Nui shrugs and points in the direction of the staff cabin. Akiko nods and starts to walk over, leaving Nui to follow at her side. "Ah… Maybe I should've asked if I should help Adkins-san next?"

Akiko's silent for a few seconds as Nui speaks. It's not that different from what she's seen of the girl so far, especially when the two of them had been alone during the trip over, so Nui doesn't think it odd. It's actually peaceful, just walking with someone who doesn't make her nervous or expects something from her; there's no pressure, no underlying desire to run away. Maybe it's the fact that Akiko's been to the Home before and went out of her way to give her tips before everyone else boarded. Maybe it's because the girl seems to wear her heart on her sleeve, honest about her intentions and experiences.

But then Akiko speaks, and Nui freezes mid-step: "Suzuki-san, I don't mean to pry, but why _are_ you here?"

Nui's eyes widen painfully. She glances at Akiko, whose arms are tucked behind her head as she keeps walking a few more steps; as soon as Akiko stops and turns around to face her, Nui's gaze drops to the ground. She stares at Akiko's feet, at her shoes, and she tries to steady her breathing.

"It's been nagging at me, I guess. Ever since you were put on the spot and Kuroda said what he did, a few of us have been curious." Akiko shifts on her feet, but Nui still doesn't look up. "And—no offense—you're kinda… not what everyone else here is like. You're not obviously here for drug abuse like some people, you didn't come from juvie, and Mizushima was made a guide instead of you, so clearly what you're here for is considered less trustworthy than what she did. But you're so…"

She can see Akiko's shadow gesture at her. When she speaks again, it's Horibe's voice that comes out.

"You're so squishy and weak."

Nui's breath catches in her throat. _It's not her. It's not her. It's not her_.

"Look at you—you can't even stand up for yourself. What the hell can you even do to stop us from picking on you?"

Nui feels her heart skip a beat. _You're dead. You're dead. You're dead._

"You gonna start crying for your mommy now? Like she'd even stand up for you either. Everyone knows you're a disappointment."

She squeezes the teddy so hard that she can feel stitching come loose around one paw. _I killed you. I killed you. I killed you_.

"No one here even likes you. The boys all just wanna fuck you and the girls just laugh at you for being such a tryhard."

Nui sees red. She hyperventilates loudly, curling in on herself as she watches Horibe's shadow. Her hands shake, and all she can think is, _Was the third-floor window not enough to shut you up?_

Horibe's shadow moves towards her, but a voice that doesn't belong to Horibe calls out, "Suzuki-san?"

" _At least I'm not like you!_ " she screeches. Her voice is so loud that she can hear birds squawking in response, some even flying from the trees. Horibe pauses, the shadow of her arm outstretched towards her now hesitating uncharacteristically. Nui follows the shadow, follows the feet, and ever so slowly raises her gaze to meet Horibe's.

But it's not Horibe she stares at her with offense, hatred, and betrayal. It's Akiko. Akiko, who looks so flabbergasted by the outburst that for a moment she's too stunned to do anything. Akiko, who finally realises what's been said to her in response to her simple question and scowls.

"I just called you squishy," Akiko mutters darkly. "You never even had to answer the question if you weren't comfortable with it. Not that you need to." As Akiko storms past Nui, she adds with a growl, "You pretty much answered it just now anyway."

Nui can't even bring herself to turn around and chase after Akiko. To apologise, beg for forgiveness. To ask if everything she'd heard had truly been said. But will Akiko even understand? Will Akiko even understand that sometimes Nui still finds herself tormented by a dead girl? That some lines are blurring too much for even her glasses to correct for her? Akiko wouldn't… treat her like everyone treats Haku, would she? But the things happening to her may as well be like Haku's chuunibyou. If everyone thinks she's crazy, how quickly will she be tormented without reservations from the others—from those who think she's too stupid, too caught up in her delusions, to notice?

Nui's arms go slack. They fall to her sides, teddy hanging by a paw from one hand. Distantly she's aware of more doors opening, of other voices asking what happened; but no one comes near her. Nui just stands there, alone, as Yuna and Shinya watch from the staff cabin and Janet lingers in the doorway of the cafeteria.

If Nui had looked over her shoulder, she'd have seen half of the cabin behind her watching through the windows and doors with wide eyes. Some shocked. Others plotting.

She trudges over to the staff cabin door. She can't even bring herself to look the two guides in the eye as she weakly tells them, "Mizushima-san wanted me to check on you two."

"O—Oh…" is Shinya's delayed response. He quickly steps back, gesturing into the cabin, and wordlessly invites her in. Yuna offers her a hand, but Nui can't find the strength in her arms to reach for it. She just silently walks inside and waits for them to tell her what to say to Hajime.

The cabin… actually looks lived-in. There's a couple of pillows and blankets all along the floor, mattresses on two separate sides of the room. All of it notably as far from the dark stains on the floor near the radio as possible, but still very much both of the guides' spaces during their stay. There's empty glasses of water on a desk, a toolbox opened and its contents spread across a table in the middle of the room.

Yuna wanders over to her side and immediately reaches up to wrap an arm around Nui's shoulders. She guides the taller girl to the table, to the only seat not cluttered with supplies they'd brought from their cabins, and gently coaxes her to sit as Shinya shuts the door and scratches the back of his head.

"We're okay," Yuna tells her. "Shinya and I thought we'd try pulling the radio apart and seeing if something was wrong with it. And we've been staying hydrated, so she can relax about that too."

"It's nothing to do with the radio itself," Shinya adds. He joins them at the table and begins packing away screwdrivers and nuts. "I got shown what to look out for last year since they were understaffed, but nothing they taught me was there. I think the other stations nearby are just down entirely."

Nui glances at the toolbox. She wasn't even aware they kept one here. What would happen if someone got hold of a screwdriver or something?

"It's admittedly grim," Yuna sighs, "but it's like Shinya said—our current situation is no different to what was intended."

"And if we can adjust to having no meat in our diets once we run out, we'll be fine," Shinya adds.

Nui furrows her brows. But it's not just meat they need, right? "Dairy?" she mumbles.

Shinya pauses. "Pardon?"

"D—Dairy…" Nui tries again, louder this time. "And protein from eggs. Is the lake water safe to consume, even?"

The two guides glance at each other. They're quiet, like Akiko had been, and everything in Nui's brain is _demanding_ she leave immediately. She can't be around anyone right now. There's no way someone won't think she's crazy. They're going to start treating her like they treat Haku—

"I didn't think of that," Shinya admits finally. He sounds sheepish as he forgoes packing the tools away. "The garden could feed us but we'd be hanging on by a thread after a few weeks. Not to mention we only have, like, five kinds of vegetables planted."

"Barely enough vitamins," Yuna agrees. "So we're still on a time limit."

Shinya shrugs. "All the more reason to keep looking for an open channel. Someone's bound to have the same idea as us, and we could have them bring supplies with them if they can travel the distance."

They brainstorm out loud a little longer. Nui tunes it out, wary of speaking up again. If she makes another mistake, she may not recover from it this time. She may wind up throwing herself under the bus like she's done with Akiko.

She can't bear the thought of more people hating her. Of Horibe being right.

Yuna taps her shoulder softly, and Nui simply nods once in response. It's enough to let the smaller girl know she's listening.

"Nui-chan, do you have any allergies?" she asks. Nui blinks. For the first time since entering the cabin, she looks up at Yuna's face. There's a bright smile, a twinkle in her eyes that makes Nui wonder why she'd even need to know such a thing.

Nui shakes her head slowly.

"No dietary restrictions? No reactions to anything?"

Nui shakes her head again, only pausing once at the phrasing. Once again she's reminded of the diets she put herself on for the sake of shedding the weight she was tormented over.

"Excellent!" Yuna claps her hands together and smiles at Shinya. "Shinya, do you mind if Nui-chan stays with you for a while? I'm going to go make us something to eat but it might take some time."

Shinya raises his brows and looks to Nui. "Sure, if she wants to. I might just clean up a bit and make it look like we don't actually live like this."

Yuna pokes her tongue out at him. "Like _you_ don't live like this, you mean."

"Y—Yuna!" he gasps. Shinya looks back at Nui with a slight flush. "Back me up here! I don't wanna look uncool to the campers!"

"Best behaviour, you two!" Yuna calls as she leaves, shutting the door loudly behind her.

The silence following the statement is, if anything, rather awkward. Nui finds strength in her arms once more, and despite having just pissed off Akiko she recalls the first piece of advice she'd been given—girls like Nui _always_ wound up in trouble if they were alone with a boy built like Shinya. She rises from her chair in a hurry, and she covers her chest with one arm while using her teddy as a shield.

Shinya freaks out equally so, gaze glued to the roof as he holds his hands up placatingly.

"She's joking! A joke!" he insists. "I'd never—I mean I never even—Sure you have the, uh, the—" His fingers flex, and Nui covers her chest with her teddy with a loud gasp. "—Oh God I'm so sorry, I don't mean like that—"

Shinya sucks in a deep breath, squeezes his eyes shut, and turns impossibly redder.

"I'm practically a blushing virgin on her wedding night with no clue what to do! Your chastity is safe with me, Suzuki-san!"

Shinya turns on his heel, and with his eyes still on the ceiling he points for the radio room.

"I'm going to check the channels! With the door shut! And not bother you!" He walks forward as he says this, only to stop when he runs into the door frame and smacks his head hard. But it doesn't deter him, that's for sure. "I'm so sorry, I made this really uncomfortable!"

She watches him correct his path. Not once does he look back at her, still staring at the ceiling, and it's thanks to this that Shinya reaches blindly around him for the door handle. He finds it and gives it a few test swings, and just as he starts moving awkwardly about to try to shut the door proper without looking her way, she finally calls out to him.

"I—It's fine, Koruda-san."

Shinya startles. "I—It is?"

"Yeah… I'm just going to, um. Pack away the tools. I'd rather keep an eye on where you are, if that's okay."

"That works! That… that works."

She watches him sink into the chair in the next room, and for a while that's all she does. She knows that Yuna was joking—she's heard those jokes before, and she's seen enough of Shinya to know he doesn't have a bone in his body capable of harming a camper. She needs to learn to take a joke, she tells herself, because the joke had clearly been made at their expense—at the fact that Shinya has never even been kissed, let alone a relationship, and that Nui just recently found herself the victim of a common Truth or Dare prompt. It's a _joke_. She doesn't need to get worked up.

Eventually she sets her teddy down on the table next to the tool box. She looks down at the tools still out, and carefully examines the small outlines in each section of the box. She can tell which tool goes where, for sure, but Yuna and Shinya must have really torn the whole thing apart just to get everything they needed.

"When you're done," Shinya calls, headset already in place, "just put the toolbox back under the desk. It's safer not to let the other campers know we have one here—just in case, y'know?"

Nui hums in agreement. Who knows what someone like Jun or Tadase could do with a screwdriver in their possession? They'd already had a bit of an incident with the fountain pen Tadase had stolen and the plastic spoon Jun stabbed Marcos with.

One by one she starts loading tools into the box, and all the while she hears Shinya try a few channels and await responses. Every so often she'll hear him let out a discouraged sigh, and when she looks up at him she'll sometimes find him with his head buried in his hands. Nui is honestly surprised that he and Yuna have kept at it for the last couple of days. She would've given up after just a few hours, but the guides really are on a whole other level.

She's almost done with the tools when Shinya calls out again. She's actually a little shocked at the tone he takes on, so different to his previously embarrassed. It's confident, almost dark, and for a moment she wonders if the delusions are happening again.

"You should hold on to one of those," he tells her. Nui is just about to put the last screwdriver away, the handle gripped tightly in one hand, and she looks over at him with wide eyes.

"Excuse me?" she gasps. Shinya looks up from the radio, surprised, and turns to her.

"Hm? What's up?" He blinks at her, and the longer Nui stares at him the more she wonders if he'd spoken at all. But then, even as he watches her with concern, that sinister tone comes out of his mouth. "You never know what someone might do to you here."

He tilts his head, and Nui suddenly can't breathe. "W—What did you say?"

Shinya furrows his brows. "I said, are you okay? You're looking really pale." He rises from his seat and makes a move to approach, only to stop when Nui tenses. He holds his hands up again and clears his throat. "Suzuki-san, maybe you should lay down or something. I can ask if Aria knows anything that might help. You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

"I…" Nui looks down at the screwdriver in her hand. In the fleeting moment she looks away, Shinya speaks again.

"Who knows which one might come for you next?"

Nui stumbles back from the toolbox, dropping the screwdriver as she does so. She tumbles to the floor, chest caving in on itself as she looks frantically back to Shinya. He's running over to her now, alarmed at her sudden collapse, but he doesn't seem to care about the screwdriver. In fact, he doesn't even seem aware that it's him that's making her freak out so much.

The fact that Shinya doesn't even know… That's the worst part, she thinks. Because if he doesn't know what she's hearing, then she's definitely hallucinating right now.

But just how can she tell when the hallucination stops and Shinya starts?

He holds her steady and helps her to her feet. A palm presses against her forehead, and Nui leans on Shinya in a daze all the while. What's even real? How much has she been hallucinating this whole time? She knows she sees Horibe every so often and that her nightmares are bad, but she never imagined things would get this bad. Just—Just hearing one thing when someone else says something entirely different!

Even now she can't register what Shinya is saying properly. Is he actually saying she has a fever and needs to rest? Or is he saying something else? Nui can't tell. She just knows that he's guiding her to Yuna's bed and saying _something_ , only to run out of the cabin as fast as he can without so much as shutting the door behind him.

She sits on the mattress. She tries to steady her breathing. She stares at the screwdriver on the floor. She stares at her teddy on the table.

Maybe… Maybe she should hold on to one, hallucination or not. Who knows how many people might turn on her as the tensions rise? Not to mention, there's already hostile campers who've made it clear they'd attack anyone at the drop of a hat. Nui needs protection. She _needs_ something to keep her safe.

She crawls over, awkwardly and as fast as she can, to the table. Her teddy falls with a single tug to its leg, and Nui wastes no time grabbing the screwdriver and stuffing it into the teddy's apron. The Phillips-head screwdriver is roughly the same length as her glasses, and they sink into the apron whenever Nui puts them in. No one would notice. It's not like they'd want her teddy in the first place, so no one would find it by accident.

She crawls back to the bed just in time for Shinya to come back with Aria in tow, first aid kit in her hands. Nui clutches her teddy close to her chest. The outline of the screwdriver through the thick fabric of the apron feels almost reassuring. Even as Aria asks her questions she can't possibly answer, can't possibly know were even said to begin with, Nui finds comfort in the knowledge that she can defend herself now.

Like Tadase with his pen, no one will know that Nui has her own weapon until she absolutely _must_ use it. And having that kind of power for once feels _good_.


End file.
